Apiomerini, also called New World resin bugs, are a largely Neotropical tribe of the assassin bug subfamily Harpactorinae, whose members show unique predation and maternal care behaviors. Species in this group collect resins to improve prey capture, and species within Apiomerus also coat their eggs with the accumulated resin to prevent egg predation and desiccation. Current understanding of phylogenetic relationships within the tribe is limited, in part due to the lack of comprehensive comparative morphological studies that would allow for cladistic analyses. Here, the male and female ectodermal genitalic structures are documented for all but one of the 12 extant genera of Apiomerini, including 12 species of the speciose genus Apiomerus. Descriptions and digital micrographs are provided for the pygophore, parameres, and phallus of the male, and for the tergite 8, syntergite 9/10, gonocoxae, gonapophyses, gonoplac, and bursa copulatrix of the female. Primary homologs are identified and their variation among taxa discussed. The wealth of morphological character information uncovered in this comparative analysis will greatly facilitate future cladistic analyses of Apiomerini. Our study also represents one of the first detailed and well-illustrated comparative studies of genitalic features at the tribal level in Reduviidae. Functional morphology of apiomerine genitalia is discussed where appropriate. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Comparative genitalic morphology in the New World resin bugs Apiomerini (Hemiptera, Heteroptera, Reduviidae, Harpactorinae)

Sycanus reclinatusDOHRN, a reduviid predator, inhabits tropical evergreen forests of southern India. Females lay clusters of brown coloured eggs 22 d after emergence. The eggs hatch in 14 to 23 d and the pale-ochraceous nymphs turn into deep-ochraceous within 1 h. Total stadial period from I instar to adult ranges from 61 to 90 d at 32 °C. The different nymphal instars are taxonomically described. Male and female longevities are 5 to 54 d and 5 to 50 d, respectively. The sex ratio is slightly male biased. The predatory and mating behaviours are described. The biocontrol efficiency of this reduviid is also dealt with.

Biology, Behaviour and Biocontrol Efficiency of a Reduviid Predator, Sycanus reclinatus Dohrn (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Southern India

Biosystematic studies of 3 subfamilies of Reduviidae viz Acanthaspidinae, Harpactorinae and Piratinae have provided sufficient data for clear demarcations of these subfamilies in terms of biological, behavioural and morphological tools. Biological considerations involve incubation and stadial periods, hatchability, adult longevity, sex ratio and morphometric analyses of life stages. Behavioural parameters include nature of predators, camouflaging, death feigning, head nodding, spitting, nymphal rolling, mating and oviposition of the members of these 3 subfamilies. Information on the bioecology of 25 species, behavioural aspects of 40 species and morphological aspect of 165 species serve to adequately augment our understanding of the biosystematics of this important predatory group of insects.

Biological, behavioural and morphological tools in the biosystematics of Reduviidae (Insecta—Heteroptera—Reduviidae)

The spermatophore capsules and their external morphology of twenty-one species of reduviids belonging to four subfamilies, viz., Acanthaspidinae (5 species), Ectrichodiinae (1 species), Harpactorinae (11 species) and Piratinae (4 species), are described and illustrated. A spermatophore index is formulated and it is explained under different subfamilies.

Diversity of spermatophore capsules in reduviids (Insecta, Heteroptera, Reduviidae) of south India.

Ectomocoris xavierei Vennison & Ambrose 1990, a polymorphic assassin bug lays dull white, elongately oval eggs 12.67 ± 0.61 days after imaginai moult. Eggs are laid singly and each litter consists of 7.66 ± 0.76 eggs. E. xavierei deposits its eggs in the soil and takes 2 to 4 min to deposit an egg and a maximum of 12 eggs are deposited in a day. The eggs hatch in between 23 to 27 days and pinkish red nymphs turn black with yellow markings within 45 to 60 min. The total nymphal period from hatching to imaginai moult is 93.6 days. Description of nymphal instars and a key for the identification of nymphal instars are given. Females live longer than the males and a females biased sex ratio is recorded. It preys in the following sequential pattern: arousal — approach — pouncing — rostral probing — stylets penetration — prey transportation and feeding. The sequence observed in the mating behaviour is: arousal — approach — embracing — genitalia extension and connection — copulation — post copulatory act.

Biology and behavior of Ectomocoris xavierei Vennison & Ambrose 1990 (Heteroptera Reduviidae Piratinae)

BothRhinocoris marginatus andCatamiarus brevipennis perform a sequential pattern of mating. The order of mating events is as follows—arousal—approach—preovulatory riding—embracing—extension of genitalia and connection achievement and postcopulatory acts such as grooming and ejection of spermatophore capsule by the female.

Mating behaviour of two assassin bugs—Rhinocoris marginatus Fabr. (Harpactorinae) andCatamiarus brevipennis Serv. (Piratinae) (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)

Dunston P Ambrose

Papers

Mating behaviour of two assassin bugs—Rhinocoris marginatus Fabr. (Harpactorinae) andCatamiarus brevipennis Serv. (Piratinae) (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)