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Species Phymata americana

Phymata americana feeding on Physocephala sp. - Phymata americana - male - female

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 Phymatinae (Ambush Bugs)

Genus Phymata (Jagged Ambush Bugs)

Species americana (Phymata americana)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Phymata erosa americana

Explanation of Names

Phymata americana Melin 1931

Numbers

no subspecies currently recognized(1)

Size

♂ 8.1–9.2 mm, ♀ 9.6–10.74 mm(1)

Identification

see (1)

Notes posted before the publication of (1): Easiest to separate by the undilated connexival segments which form a more or less smooth margin. This feature is more conspicuous in the males.

In the eastern states, the lack of an ultraconnexivum on the fourth segment and the large size (7-12 mm) leave only P. americana, P. fasciata, and P. pennsylvanica. From the latter two, the undilated margin will separate P. americana. All of these species also occur in the western states.

Among the larger species in the West, it is more difficult to separate from P. borica, P. salicis, and P. pacifica although it is apparently allopatric with respect to the latter.

Range

across so. Canada, ne. US to the Rocky Mts and into the deserts and shrublands of sw. US (west to AZ) and n. Mexico; appears to be largely absent from se. US(1)

Internet References

Species page(1)

Works Cited

1.	Taxonomic revision of the Nearctic erosa species group of Phymata Latreille, 1802 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Phymatinae) Masonick P., Weirauch C. 2020. CJAI 41: 90 pp.

Contributed by Chuck Entz on 1 November, 2009 - 7:17pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, drswanny, v belov
Last updated 26 August, 2021 - 5:30pm

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