Genus Apiomerus

Apiomerus Hahn, 1831

Sigurd Leopold Szerlip revised the genus in his 1980 doctoral dissertation(1), setting up a number of new species. Since this hasn't been officially published according to the standards of the International Code for Zoological Nomenclature, there is technically no valid name for those species. See this forum topic for details.

From Apion, a genus of weevils (that from Greek apion = απιον a pear), plus Greek merus (μερος) thigh (2) (3). The legs of Apiomerus presumably resemble those of the weevil:

  

Despite the fact that some members of this genus are called "bee assassins", the genus name Apiomerus does not appear to be related to Latin apis (bee).

Nearctica (4), Slater (5), and Arnett (6), list 9 species in genus.

Sigurd Leopold Szerlip's 1980 doctoral dissertation (1) describes several other species, which are, unfortunately, technically invalid. See this forum topic for details.

12-15 mm

Variably colored: red with blackish-brown markings or brown with yellowish markings. Dense short hair on head, thorax, and legs. Distance between simple eyes greater than the distance between compound eyes. 2nd antennal segment rather comblike, not subdivided into small ringlike units. Nymph is dark and reddish.

North America; most diverse in the west. Apiomerus crassipes and Apiomerus spissipes are widespread in east.

Meadows, fields, and gardens.

Other insects, especially bees.

Eggs are attached to foliage. Nymphs, like adults, are voracious predators. 1 generation or more a year in the North.

It pounces on Honey Bees and other pollinating insects. It holds the captive in its powerful legs, thrusts its cutting beak into the victim's back, injects an immobilizing digestive agent, then sucks out the body juices.

Some members of this genus (or perhaps related genera?) have sticky material on the front tibiae that is used to hold prey (Schuh and Slater, p. 157, via GoogleBooks).