Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Subspecies Phymata americana americana

Ambush bug - Phymata americana - male Ambush bug - Phymata americana - male Jagged Ambush Bug - Phymata americana Bug found on Queen Anne's Lace in Vermont eating Honey Bee - Phymata americana Bug found on Queen Anne's Lace in Vermont eating Honey Bee - Phymata americana Phymata americana? - Phymata americana - male - female Phymata americana - male - female ambush bug - Phymata americana
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)
Subspecies americana (Phymata americana americana)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Phymata americana Melin, 1930
Phymata americana wisconsina Melin, 1930
Phymata americana ottawensis Melin, 1930
Phymata pennsylvanica americana Evans, 1931
Size
8-10 mm
Identification
The portion of Kormilev's key (1960) for separating three of the subspecies of P. americana is provided here:

a. Bigger (9 to 12 mm); carinae of pronotum generally elevated on top forming rooflike ridge, or provided with a tubercle. americana coloradensis Melin, 1930 (U.S.A. W and SW. Mexico)
Smaller (7.5 to 10 mm); carinae of pronotum simple, neither forming a rooflike ridge, nor provided with a tubercle. b.

b. Bigger (8 to 10 mm); ocellar processes high, slender, sometimes ramificated, almost without granulation; lateral notch of pronotum wider and deeper. americana Melin s. str. (U.S.A. E. and SE, Canada, Mexico).
Smaller (7.5 to 8 mm); ocellar processes low and granulated; lateral notch of pronotum smaller and shallow. americana metcalfi Evans 1931 (U.S.A. NW).
Range
Eastern half of the United States.
Print References
Kormilev, N. A. 1960. Revision of Phymatinae (Hemiptera, Phymatidae). The Philippine Journal of Science, 89: 287-489.