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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae) » Thread-legged Bugs (Emesinae)

Subfamily Emesinae - Thread-legged Bugs

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Habitat · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Bug - Emesaya Emesaya brevipennis Nymph Thread legged bug? Or Assassin bug? - Empicoris Empicoris cannibalizing Stenolemus Assassin Bug - Stenolemus - Stenolemus BG1274 D1285 - Barce Very small Phasmid? - Pseudometapterus umbrosus Pale assassin hatchling - Stenolemus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Family Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)
Subfamily Emesinae (Thread-legged Bugs)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Considered by some to be a separate family: Ploiariidae. (1)
Explanation of Names
The Century Dictionary (2) gives this account: Emesinae is from genus Emesa Fabricius, 1803. Emesa is New Latin, from Greek Hemesa ('Εμεσα), the ancient name for the Syrian city of Hems (also spelled Hims).
Numbers
Arnett (3) lists the following tribes and genera, with number of species (about 62 total):
Tribe Emesini:
Emesa (1)
Gardena (2)
Stenolemoides (1)
Stenolemus (4)
Tribe Leistarchini:
Ploiaria (14)
Tribe Metapterini:
Barce (6)
Metapterus (6)
Pseudometapterus (3)
Emesaya (5)
Ghilianella (1)
Pseudometyapterus (3)
Ischnonyctes (1)
Tribe Ploiariolini
Emesopsis (1)
Empicoris (14)
Size
Most northern sp. 30-35mm, southern sp. 5-10mm (1)
Identification
With their long, thin bodies, these bugs resemble small walking-sticks (1). However the Emesinae walk on the rear four legs--the front legs are modified for grasping prey and do not support the insect (4).
Habitat
Cellars and old buildings; outside, found beneath loose bark and in tufts of grass--largely nocturnal (1) (5).
Food
Predatory on other insects; some take prey from spider webs or prey on spiders (5) (6) (4).
See Also
Hydrometridae - Marsh-treaders
Berytidae - Stilt Bugs
Print References
Arnett, p. 265 (3)
Borror & White, p. 120, illustration on p. 121 (1)
Borror et al. An Introduction to the Study of Insects (5)
The Century Dictionary, entries for Emesa, Emesinae (2)
Eaton and Kaufman, pp. 118-119 (6)
Pedro W. Wygodzinsky, A monograph of the Emesinae (Reduviidae, Hemiptera). Bulletin of the AMNH ; v. 133 (4)
Internet References
Wikipedia--Emesinae
Works Cited
1.A Field Guide to Insects
By Richard E. White, Donald J. Borror, Roger Tory Peterson
2.The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language
3.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
By Ross H. Arnett
4.A monograph of the Emesinae (Reduviidae, Hemiptera)
By Pedro W. Wygodzinsky
5.Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects
By Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn
6.Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
By Eric Eaton, Kenn Kaufman
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by Mike Boone, cotinis, Bradshaw
Last updated 21 August, 2009 - 8:55am

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