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Photo#35845
Assassin Bug - Fitchia aptera

Assassin Bug - Fitchia aptera
Harvard, Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA
October 29, 2005
Size: 9mm
Is this a Fitchia aptera?

Fitchia aptera looks correct
Quoting from Slater, How to Know the True Bugs, p. 125 (1):

"This is an elongate (12-14 mm) elliptical dull yellow species which is easily recognized by the presence of a broad dark longitudinal stripe on either side of the abdomen, and by a broad dark lateral stripe midway between the meson and the lateral margin of the abdominal sternum. It is without spines on the hind lobe of the pronotum. This species is generally micropterous with the wings reduced to tiny pads that barely extend onto the first abdominal segment (fig. 228). The macropterous form is known (fig. 229), but is rare. Generally this species occurs on the ground about grass clumps in old fields. It is widely distributed from Maine west to Utah and southwest to Texas, but is generally uncommon.

The only other United States species, F. spinulosa Stal, may be distinguished by having two short spines or tubercles on the hind lobe of the pronotum. It ranges from New York to Indiana and south to Florida and Texas."

Fig. 228 of Slater (micropterous form) is a dead ringer. Good catch!

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

 
Fitchia aptera
Patrick, thanks for the ID and the full write-up about the species.

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