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Genus Pselliopus

Assassin Bug, immature - Pselliopus Assassin Bug - Pselliopus cinctus Assassin - Pselliopus barberi Pselliopus cinctus - female Hemipterans - Pselliopus barberi - male - female Assassin Bug - Pselliopus barberi small bug - Pselliopus cinctus Pselliopus cinctus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)
Infraorder Cimicomorpha
Family Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)
Subfamily Harpactorinae
Tribe Harpactorini
Genus Pselliopus
Explanation of Names
Pselliopus Bergroth 1905
Greek psellion 'anklet/bracelet' + pous 'foot' (a reference to the banded legs)
Numbers
at least 7 spp. in our area, ~30 total(1)(2)
Size
12-14 mm
Identification
Adults are orange and boldly striped, as are some other juvenile assassin bugs. Distinctive as an adult: brown or orange with banded legs, head, and front of thorax. Edges of abdomen also banded.
a key to eastern spp.(3):
a. Disks of both front and hind lobes of pronotum smooth, unarmed; tibiae annulate throughout their length.
b. Basal margin of pronotum within the wide notch in front of scutellum bisinuate; short black spine of humeral angles of pronotum projected slightly beyond the angle and directed backwards; general color dull orange-yellow, more or less tinged with fuscous.... cinctus
bb. Basal margin of pronotum in front of scutellum truncate or straight across ; short black spine of humeral angles not projected beyond the angle and directed outwards; general color a bright orange-yellow.... barberi
aa. Front lobe of pronotum setose and beset with 10—12 distinct obtuse tubercles; hind lobe with numerous small setose tubercles or granules; tibiae annulate only toward base.... latifasciatus

Stephen Cresswell put together a great page here: http://www.americaninsects.net/ht/pselliopus-barberi-vs-cinctus.html (appears to be missing or inaccessible; archived version here)
Range
so. Canada to Argentina, most diverse in Mexico(2); in our area, 3 spp. are eastern: P. cinctus and P. barberi widespread in e. US, P. latifasciatus se. US (MD-FL to MI-CO-TX) and 4 are western (mostly sw. US, with P. spinicollis ranging into BC(4))
Habitat
Meadows, fields; typically on flowers
Life Cycle
Adults hibernate under rocks, bark, sometimes in groups[cite:381563]
Remarks
Some species, such as Pselliopus barberi, have bright coloring and relatively large size. Some species are possible biological pest controls.
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
2.Cinco especies nuevas de Pselliopus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae: Harpactorini) para México
Brailovsky H., Mariño R., Barrera E. 2007. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 78: 85-98.
3.Heteroptera of Eastern North America
W.S. Blatchley. 1926. The Nature Publishing Company.
4.Checklist of the Hemiptera of Canada and Alaska
Maw, H.E.L., R.G. Foottit, K.G.A. Hamilton and G.G.E. Scudder. 2000. NRC Research Press.