Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Apiomerus crassipes (
Fabricius, 1803)
Reduvius crassipes Fabricius, 1803
Reduvius linitaris Say, 1832
Herega rubrolimbata Amyot & Serville, 1843
Explanation of Names
Latin, crassus, thick, stout; Latin, pes, foot.
Size
Males: 12.2-18.3 mm. Females: 14.8-20.1 mm.
Identification
A medium-sized, flattened, assassin bug with mostly black body, orange or reddish margins. Body has prominent upright hairs.
Sympatric with A. floridensis in peninsular Florida and elsewhere with A. spissipes but easily distinguished by its black coloration. Range does not overlap with other blackish species (A. californicus and A. montanus) which were previously included under A. crassipes.
Range
In the United States, east of the 100th meridian
(1).
Remarks
A common and notable assassin bug.
Exhibits a low degree of polychromatism, however there is a large variation in size. Smallest specimens occur in the southeast and the larger specimens are found in the north and west.
Internet References
North Carolina State Entomology Collection lists only this species for that state, and it is common, with 117 pinned.