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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Cimicomorpha » Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae) » Harpactorinae

Subfamily Harpactorinae

Mystery Bug - Arilus cristatus Orange Assassin Bug with Tobacco Horn Worm - Pselliopus barberi assassin bug? - Zelus cervicalis Sinea diadema - Spined Assassin Bug? - Sinea diadema Apiomerus crassipes Zelus renardii? - Zelus renardii Unknown sp. stilt bug - Zelus luridus Male, Castolus ferox? - Castolus ferox - male
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
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Apiomerus used to be treated in a separate subfamily, Apiomerinae(1)
Explanation of Names
Harpactorinae Amyot & Serville 1843; type genus: Harpactor (C. & S. America)
Numbers
Second largest subfamily in our area, with ~50 spp. in 13 genera(1), and world's largest subfamily, with >2,000 spp. in almost 300 genera(2)
Size
Some of the smallest members to some of the largest, 5‒40 mm
Identification
One of the two subfamilies (other Stenopodainae) with a quadrate cell in the corium. The second antennal segment is equal to or shorter than the first.
Range
Worldwide, incl. most of NA (some range into so. Canada & AK)
Habitat
Most are found on foliage or in fields. Many are associated with flowers. Few are arboreal. Not as strongly associated with lights at night as other subfamilies.
Food
Generalist predators often on pollinators or other prey associated with habitat (many specialize on insect larvae(2)). Most appear to ambush their prey.
Life Cycle
Univoltine or bivoltine, depending on species.
Remarks
the most commonly found assassin bugs
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
2.Biodiversity of the Heteroptera
Henry T.J. 2009. In: Foottit R.G., Adler P.H., eds. Insect biodiversity: Science and society. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell: 223−263.
Contributed by v belov on 2 March, 2010 - 5:31pm
Additional contributions by drswanny
Last updated 6 October, 2023 - 2:28pm

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