University of Florida Entomology and Nematolgy

Insect Classification ENY 4161/6166 Fall 2002

Sean Bierle, Esther Dunn, Sasha Frederick, Sandy Garrett, Justin
Harbison, David Hoel, Ben Ley, Scott Weihman

A Literature-based Key to REDUVIIDAE

(Heteroptera) of Florida
(Assassin Bugs, and Thread-Legged Bugs
[This manuscript is the result of research by the above listed students. It is intended to provide
dichotomous keys to species of Reduviidae listed as occurring in Florida. Records are based on
literature only. Figures are mostly from Blatchley's Heteroptera of Eastern North America.]

This is a large group (more than 160 North American species) of predaceous bugs, and
many species are fairly common. They are often blackish of brownish in color, but many are
brightly colored. The head is usually elongate with the part behind the eyes neck like. The beak is
short and three-segmented, and its tip fits into a stridulatory groove in the prosternum. The
abdomen in many species is widened in the middle, exposing the lateral margins of the segments
beyond the wings. Most species are predaceous on other insects, but a few are bloodsucking and
frequently bite people. Many species will inflict a painful bite if carelessly handled.
One of the largest and most easily recognized assassin bugs is the wheel bug, Arilus
cristatus (L.), a grayish bug 28-36 mm in length, with a semicircular crest on the pronotum that
terminates in teeth and resembles a cogwheel. This species is fairly common in the East. The
Masked hunter, Reduvius personatus (L.) is a brownish black bug 17-22 mm in length that is often
found in houses. It feeds on bed bugs, but will also bite people. The nymphs are soft-bodied and
cover themselves with dust particles. They are also called "dust bugs" or "masked bedbug hunters."
The assassin bugs of the genus Triatoma also invade houses and bite people. They feed at
night, biting any exposed parts (such as the face) of people sleeping. These bugs are sometimes
called kissing bugs (because of their tendency to bite people about the mouth) or Mexican bed bugs.
In South America species of this genus serve as vectors of a trypanosome disease of man known as
Chagas' disease (several cases of this disease have recently been found in he United States).
Armadillos, opossums, and certain rats also serve as a host for the trypanosome causing this
disease.
The thread-legged bugs (Emesinae) are very slender and long-legged and resemble
walkingsticks. They occur in old barns, cellars and dwellings, and outdoors beneath loose bark and

1
in grass tufts, where they can catch and feed on other insects. One of the largest and most common
of the thread-legged bugs is Emesaya brevipennis (Say), a widely distributed species that is 33-37
mm in length. Most of the thread-legged bugs are smaller (down to 4.5 mm in length).

Keys to the Adult Reduviidae of Florida-Insect Classification Class Fall 2002

Keys to Subfamilies

1. Forecoxae four time or more longer than wide and extending beyond apex of head………
……………………………….……………………………………………Emesinae (page 5)

1a. Forecoxae twice as long or less than wide and not extending beyond apex of head……… .2

2. Ocelli absent; hemelytra entire, second rostral segment swollen at base…Saicinae (page 14)

2a. Ocelli usually present, if absent, hemelytra shortened, second rostral segment not swollen at
base…………………………………………………………………………………………..3

3. Hemelytra with a quadrate cell (figure 1) in corium at base of membrane……………….....4

3a. Hemelytra without quadrate cell in the corium………………………………………………6

4. Membrane of hemelytra with anal area not extending forward beyond costal cell; antennal
segment 2 longer than 1…………………….…………………….Stenopodainae (page 14)

4a. Membrane of hemelytra with anal area extending beyond costal cell; antennal segment 2
equal to or shorter than segment 1 ……………………………….…………………………5

5. First antennal segment shorter than head; eyes closer together than ocelli; claws
simple…………………………….…………...…………………..….Apiomerinae (page 4)

5a. First antennal segment longer than head; eyes further apart than ocelli; claws dentate or
apendicular………………………………………………….……..Harpactorinae (page 10)

6. Second antennal segment subdivided into 8 to 28 pseudosegments; eyes located

immediately in front of posterior margin of head; ocelli in between
eyes…………………………..……… Microtominae (Microtomus purcis Drury -fig.1)

6a. Second antennal segment not subdivided; eyes more forward in front of posterior margin of
head; ocelli usually behind them……………………………………………………….…..7

7. Pronotum constricted behind the middle; forecoxae laterally compressed; outer side flat or
slightly concave…………………………………………………………Pieratinae (page 13)

7a. Pronotum constricted at or in front of middle; forecoxae somewhat rounded…………….8

8. Apex of scutellum truncate with two or three curved prongs; antennae 4, 6, 7, or 8-

segmented……………………………….……Ectrichodiinae (Rhiginia cruciata Say -fig. 2)

8a. Apex of scutellum elongated as a single process; antennae 4-segmented…………………9

2
9. Head without transverse sulcus; antennae attached closer to
anteocular…………………………………………………………..Triatominae (page 17)

9a. Head with distinct transverse sulcus; antennae attached closer to eyes. ………...Reduviinae
(Reduvius personatus Linnaeus -fig.3)

Figure 1. Microtomus pureis Drury Figure 2. Rhiginia cruciata Say

Figure 3. Reduvius personatus Linnaeus

3
Keys to the subfamily Apiomerinae

1. Larger 14-19 mm.; Pronotum black, margins narrowly edged in red; ventrals usually wholly
black; corium blackish-brown..…………...……...Apiomerus crassipes Fabricius (fig. 4)

1a. Under 13mm…………………………………………………………………………………… 2

2. Pronotum with disk in part red; ventrals each with a distinct pale transverse median bar, their
front and hind margins black; corium in great part reddish-brown; smaller.
……………………………………………………………………Apiomerus spissipes Say

2a. Not as above………………………………….Apiomerus flaviventris Herrich-Schaffer

Figure 4. Apiomerus crassipes Fabricius

4
Keys to Subfamily Emesinae

1. Uniformly brownish, hind lobe of pronotum about twice as long as fore lobe; mid and hind
legs with conspicuous long hairs. Hemelytra membranous throughout, gradually widening
towards the tip with a few transverse veins crossing at nearly right angles, with the cells
growing larger in the posterior. Abdomen moderately flat, widening towards the
middle……………………………………………….Emesopsis nubilus Uhler (figs. 5,6)

1a. Not as above……………………………………………………………..2

2. Earthy red color, darkest in the center of the abdomen, eyes large, the postocular region of
head with sides that are gradually convergent posteriorly. In the hind wing Cu is separated
by M by a short but distinct cross vein. Fore lobe surface smooth, and the hind lobe
polished. Length from 9-11 mm………………… Gardena elkinsi Wygodzinsky (fig. 7)

2a. Not as above…………………………………………………………….3

3. Spines of fore femur beginning at considerable distance from base of article; body elongate;
fore lobe of pronotum much longer than hind lobe. Fore wing with single closed cell.
Coxae of mid and hind tibia black; fore tibia more than half as long as femur, in addition
the ventral surface of fore tibia with strongly sclerotized spinulets in addition to setae. Hind
margin of pygophore deeply emarginated in male....Gardena poppaea McAtee and Malloch

3a. Not as above…………………………………………………………..…4

4. Front tarsi flexible, distinctly 2 or 3 jointed; front trochanters unarmed; body of adults
winged, the elytra surpassing abdomen; front femora spinose from the base; claws of front
tarsus two, usually
equal……………………………………………………………...……....5

4a. Front tarsi rigid or inflexible, either 1 jointed or so heavily chitinized that the sutures are
invisible; body winged or apterous; claws of front tarsi usually either unequal or
single…………….…………………………....6

5. Elytra with two completely enclosed discal cells, the basal one triangular; pronotum
extending backwards over mesonotum of base of wings, always with a deep constriction,
sometimes pedunculate; antennae and lags with numerous long erect hairs; elytra with inner
apical margin concave...……………………………………………………………….14

5a. Elytra with but one discal cell pronotum seldom with a deep constriction, never
pedunculate; antennae and legs without long erect hairs. Front tarsi 2 jointed; meso and
metanota usually each with a spine; pronotum slightly constricted near front
margin………………………………….………..…………………..…16

5
6. Front femora spinose from about the basal third or middle; pronotum in winged forms
overlapping mesonotum to base of wings.……………….7

Figures 5 and 6. Head, pronotum, and body of Emesopsis nubilus Uhler

Figure 7. Head and pronotum of Gardena elkinsi Wygodzinsky

6a. Front femora spinose from the base; pronotum not extending over
mesonotum………………………………….………………………..…10

7. Head normally with tubercles or spines, elytra when present, with two discal cells; front
tarsi with one claw…………….……………………...8

7a. Head without tubercles or spines; elytra when present, with one discal cell; basal ventral
spine of front femur much longer than others; front tarsi with two equal claws; length 28
mm or more………………………………………...…………………………..13

6
8. Head with a single slender curved spine between bases of antennae; front tarsus with two
rows of very fine elongate deflected knife-like teeth on its lower surface; adults never
winged; length 20-25 mm………………..…………………...…..Ghinallelia productilis
Barber

8a. Head with two tubercles or spines, one between bases of antennae, the other just beneath it
decurved above base of beak; front tarsus with two rows of decumbent setae on its lower
surface; adults often winged, the elytra shorter than abdomen; length, less than
18mm…………………………………………………………..………...9

9. Front femora little or no stouter than apical half of front coxae; color a nearly uniform
opaque black……………………………….Pseudometapterus umbrosus Blatchley

9a. Dull, clay yellow; head with two narrow brown stripes. Antennae filiform, joint 2 three
fourths the length of 1; joint 3 the shortest being one fourth the length of
4………………………..……………………………………..Barce fraternus Say

10. Hind lobe of head armed with an acute median backward projecting spine and two
tubercles; males with joints 1 and 2 of antennae furnished with numerous long erect hairs;
pro and mesonota subequal in length……………………....… Ploiaria hirticornis Banks

10a. Hind lobe of head unarmed; antennae without long hairs……………...11

11. Front femora armed beneath with numerous slender bristles of unequal length, the larger
ones not arising from elevated bases; general dull yellow; length 8 or more mm
.………………..………………………...………..Ploiaria setulifera McAtee and Malloch

11a. Outer margin of under surface of front femora with 4 to 7 long spines arising from conical
tubercles, and much shorter ones intervening; general color dark brown; length 6-7
mm………………………..............................................................…...…12

12. Pro and mesonota subequal in length, the latter without a wide median yellow stripe; front
tarsus fully two-thirds as long as the tibia………………Ploiaria carolina Herrich-Schaffer

12a. Mesonotum longer than pronotum and with wide median stripe and lateral carinea
yellowish; front tarsus less than two-thirds as long as the
tibiae………………………….…………...................…..Ploiaria floridana Bergroth

13. Hind margin of eighth tergite between the processes decidedly concave, the emargination
broadly U-shaped; seventh and eighth tergites with a median longitudinal bare and slightly
elevated line; side of eighth tergite subangulate
posteriorly…..….…......................................Emesaya lineata McAtee and Malloch

13a. Hind margin of eighth tergite between the processes nearly straight, the emargination
nearly rectangular; seventh and eighth tergites lacking such a line; side of eighth tergite not
at all angulate posteriorly……………………………...…..Emesaya brevipennis Say (fig 8).

7
 Figure 8. Emesaya brevipennis Say

14. Processes of scutellum and metanotum distinctly thickened apically, with very dense, long
pilosity; projections of hind lobe large, rounded-truncate apically; color of hind lobe light
brown, without spots, but without veinlet-like lines………….….Stenolemus spiniventris
Signoret

14a. Not as above…………………..………………………………….…….15

15. Prothorax deeply constricted, not pedunculate; spines of front femora very short, the basal
one directly straight downward; meso and metanotal pines tout, the former strongly
inclined backwards……………………………….Stenolemus longicornisBlatchey

15a. Prothorax strongly pedunculate, the cylindrical peduncle as long as front lobe; spines of
front femora longer and more slender, nearly as long as the tibial diameter, the basal one
inclined backwards meso and metanotal spines slender, both suberect…...……. Stenolemus
lanipes Wygodzinsky

16. Front lobe of pronotum with two raised white lines in addition to the lateral carinae; head
and pronotum dull yellow; hind lobe of pronotum, costal margin of elytra and front legs
with numerous very fine erect hairs; mesonotal spine brown,
horizontal……………………………………………Empicoris palmensis Blatchley

16a. Not as above………………..…………………………………………..17

17. Head with whitish line extending from base of antennae to occiput, where the line bends
and unites with a diagonal line from below each eye. Posterior lobe of pronotum with 1+1
linear, submedian, whitish carinae similar in structure to lateral carinae; scutellum and
metanotum lacking spines. Fore femur with very short inconspicuous spines only; discal
cell of forewing with numerous small spots………………………….....Empicoris barberi
McAtee and Malloch

17a. Posterior lobe of pronotum lacking sharply defined, submedian carinae; scutellum and
metanotum spined…………………………………….18

18. Hind wings conspicuously spotted with dark apically; abdomen ventrally with distinct,
large, bare spots around base of macrochaetae………...…Empicoris errabunda Say (fig. 9)

18a. Hind wings not spotted apically; ventral pubescence of abdomen apparently
uniform…………………………………………………………19

8
19. Pronotum with two conspicuously curved, linear, pilose, white vittae which are distinct in
front of constriction; bases of forewings white…………….……………….Empicoris nudus
McAtee and Malloch

19a. Pronotum with two moderately broad, whitish vittae which do not extend in front of
constriction or to hind margin, disc with rather conspicuous, white, decumbent hairs;
process of pygophore of male spinelike……………Empicoris armatus Champion (fig 10)

Figure 9. Head and pronotum of Empicoris errabunda Say

Figure 10. Empicoris armatus Champion

9
Keys to the Subfamily Harpactorinae

1. Body very long and slender, 6-8 times as long as

wide…………………………………………………….…...Doldina interjungens Bergroth

1a. Body not so slender; less than 6-8 times long as wide…………………………………….2

2. Sides of mesopleuron with a small spine projecting in front of posterior margin of

propleuron…………………………………………..……………………………………..3

2a. Sides of mesopleuron without such a spine……………………………………………….6

3. Pronotum produced with a large “wheeled” ridge……….Arilus cristatus Linnaeus (fig. 11)

3a. Pronotum without such a ridge………………………………………………………..…..4

4. Anterior pronotal lobe with sharp spines…………….Sinea diadema Fabricius (figs.12,13)

4a. First pair of anteocular spines usually twice as long as third

pair…………………………………………………….Sinea sanguisuga Stål (figs.14,15)

4b. Anterior protnotal lobe with medium sized blunt spines. Brown golden hue with many fine
short hairs……………………………………………………………….…Heza similis Stål.

4c. Anterior pronotal lobe with blunt tubercles…………………………………………….…5

5. Antennae reddish-brown, first segment with one or two vague pale rings; anteocular spines
with basal pair usually not nearly twice as long as the apical
pair…………………………………….………………….. Sinea spinipes Herrich-Schäffer

5a. Antennae brown, first segment darker at base; anteocular spines short, blunt, or very
small………………………………………………………………. Sinea rileyi Montandon

6. First segment of labium scarcely or not longer than half the length of second segment… 7

6a. First segment of labium much longer than one-half the length of segment two………….. .8

7. Hind lobe of pronotum subhexagonal, unarmed on

disk……………………………………………………………..Zelus exanguis Stål (fig. 16)

7a. Hind lobe of pronotum with four short spines on disk, one on each humeral angle, two near
hind margin………………………...………………………….……..Zelus tetracanthus Stål

8. First segment of labium shorter than second segment………………………………………9

8a. First segment of labium equal to or longer than second segment……………..………..….10

9. Front lobe of pronotum glabrous with a median

sulcus………….………………………………………………...Pselliopus cinctus Fabricius

10
 9a. Front lobe of pronotum setose with 10-12 distinct obtuse
tubercles……………………………………………….…. Pselliopus latifasciatus Barber

Figure 11. Arilus cristatus Linnaeus Figure 12. Sinea diadema Fabricius

Figure 13. Leg of S. diadema Figure 14. Head and pronotum of Sinea sanguisuga

Figure 15. Body of S. sanguisuga Figure 16. Zelus exanguis Stål

11
10. Hind lobe of pronotum with two very short spines………………....…Fitchia spinosula Stål

10a. Hind lobe of pronotum armed with four elongate, prominent spines……………………..11

11. Caudo-lateral angles of abdominal steral segments 3-5 prolonged posteriorly into distinct
spines; only a short acute erect spine behind base of each
antenna……………………………………...…….…..Atrachelus cinereus Fabricius (fig.17)

11a. Caudo-lateral angles of abdominal steral segments 3-5 not prolonged posteriorly into
distinct spines; one very long tapering acute erect spine behind base of each antenna……12

12. Head spines pale, their length half of the interocular space; hemelytra wholly
pale…………………………………………………………….. Rocconota annulicornis Stål

12a. Head spines dark, black or brown, nearly as long as interocular space; hemelytra in great
part black…………..……………………………………...Repipta Taurus Fabricius (fig.18)

Figure 17. Atrachelus cinereus Fabricius

Figure 18. Repipta Taurus Fabricius

12
Keys to the subfamily Pieratinae

1. Body with yellow

markings…………………………………………………...……………………………….……….2

1a. Body wholly black………………………………………………………………….…………..3

2. Inner portion of basal half of corium as far as tip of clavus is yellow; clavus black at base; body
narrow……………………………………………………….Rasahus hamatus Fabricius (fig. 19)

2a. Basal half of corium and the clavus both in great part yellow; body broad; connexivum widely
exposed………………………………………………………….Rasahus biguttatus Say (fig. 20)

3. Abdomen wholly black, ocelli small, elytra often much

abbreviated………………………………….…..Melanolestes picipes Herrich-Schaffer (fig. 21)

3a. Not as above……………………………………………………....Melanolestes morio Erichson

Figure 19. Rasahus hamatus Fabricius Figure 20. Rasahus biguttatus Say

Figure 21. Melanolestes picipes Herrich-Schaffer

13
 Keys to the Subfamily Saicinae

1. Pronotum unarmed; apex of scutellum produced into a long horizontal

spine……………………………….………… Oncerotrachelus acuminatus Say (fig. 22)

1a. Pronotum bearing a pair of elonate upward projecting spines; scutellum with an apical
spine and an upward projecting median spine arisisng from basal
half……………………………………………………..………Saica florida Barber (fig. 23)

Figure 22. Oncerotrachelus acuminatus Say Figure 23. Saica florida Barber

Keys to the subfamily Stenopodainae

1. Head with one or more branched or bifid spines or processes on each side below and behind the
eyes...………………………………………………………………………………………2

1a. Head without branched spines or processes behind and below the eyes, rarely with small
simple ones……………………………………………………………………………………4

2. Joint 1 of antennae with apex produced forward as a blunt spine beyond the base of joint 2;
front femora armed beneath on each side with prominent spines……………………………..6

2a. Joint 1 of antennae not spined at apex………………………………………………………...3

3. Front femora unarmed; joint 1 of beak nearly twice as long as the other united; apex of head at
base of beak unarmed……………………….…………………. .Pygolampis pectoralis Say

14
3a. Front femora armed beneath with two rows of short spines; joint 1 of beak subequal in length
to 2 and 3 united; apex of head armed with a short porrect obtuse spine on each side at base of
beak…………………………………………………………………Gnathobleda lititgiosa Stal

4. Ocelli not or only slightly elevated; hind portion of head not strongly narrowed into a slender
neck; hind femora much surpassing apex of abdomen…………….Stenopoda cinerea Laporte

4a. Ocelli located on small protuberance or tubercle above the general level of the head; hind
portion of head strongly narrowed into a neck; hind femora not at all or but slightly passing
tip of abdomen…………………………………………………………………………………5

5. Front femora thickened, armed beneath with very short spines; joint 1 of beak much shorter
than joint 2; hind femora not or just reaching tip of
abdomen.......................................................................Oncocephalus geniculatus Stal (fig.24)

5a. Front femora but little thickened, unarmed beneath; joints 1 and 2 of beak subequal in lengh;
hind femora slightly surpassing abdomen………….…….…Narvesus carolinensis Stal (fig.25)

Figure 24. Oncocephalus geniculatus Stal Figure 25. Narvesus carolinensis Stal

6. Front tibiae with spines along entire length…………………………………………………...7

6a. Front tibiae with spines only on proximal half of length, length of spines more than twice that
of diameter of tibiae………………………………………Diaditus tejanus Giacchi (figs 26,27)

15
Figure 26. Head of male Diaditus tejanus Giacchi Figure 27. Body of D.tejanus

7. Front tibiae armed on inner edge only with three or four spines……….…..………………….8

7a. Front tibiae armed with spines on both inner and outer edges…………………………………9

8. Basal joint of antennae unarmed beneath; incisures of connexivals without dark spots; cheeks
much surpassing antenniferous tubercles...…………………………….Pnirontis languida Stal

8a. Basal joint of antennae armed beneath; apical angles of incisures of connexivals both above
and beneath with a small black spot; cheeks but slightly surpassing antenniferous
tubercles………...……….……………………………………….Pnirontis infirma Stal (fig. 28)

9. Jugae slightly surpassing apex of antenniferous tubercles; basal segment of antennae longer
than half the length of head……….………………………….……...Pnirontis modesta Banks
9a. Jugae short, slender, apices not reaching apex of antenniferous tubercles; basal segment of
antennae half the length of head….………………………..……...Pnirontis granulosa Barber

16
 Figure 28. Pnirontis infirma Stal

Keys to the Subfamily Triatominae

1. Upper surface of body and rostrum densely haired…………Triatoma lecticularius Stål

1a. Upper surface of body and rostrum almost without

hair…………………………………………………..Triatoma sanguisuga Leconte (fig. 29)

Figure 29. Triatoma sanguisuga Leconte

17
 References

Barber, H. G. 1914. Hemiptera of Florida. Bulletin of the American

Museum of Natural History. 33: 504-506.

Blatchley, W. S. 1926. Heteroptera or True Bugs of Eastern North America.

The Nature Publishing Company. Indianapolis, Ind.

Borror, D. J., Johnson, N. F., Triplehorn, C. A. 1989. An Introduction to the study

of Insects, 6th Ed. Thomson Learning, Inc.

Capriles, J. M. 1976. The Genus Heza (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Journal of Agriculture

of the University of Puerto Rico. 60: 406-414

Caudell. 1901. The Genus Sinea of Amyot & Serville. Journal of the New York
Entomological Society. 9: 9-10.

Champion, G. C. 1897-1901. Biologia Centrali-Americana. Hemiptera-Heteroptera

II: xvi.

China, W. E., Miller, N. C. E. 1959. Checklist and keys to the families and subfamilies of
Hemiptera-Heteroptera. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 8:
1-15.

Elkins, J. S. 1951. The Reduviidae of Texas. Texas Journal of Science. 3: 407-412.

Froeschner, R. C., Mcpherson, J. E., Sites, R. W. 1995. Range Extension of Diaditus

tejanus (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Florida Entomologist. 78(4): 611-612

Giacchi, J. C. 1980. Una nueva especie para el genero Diaditus Stal, 1859
(Stenopodainae-Reduviidae). Revista Sociedad Entomologia Argentina . 39 (1-2): 1-4.

Nomina Nearctica. www.nearctica.com.

Tso-Ho Ing, R. 1970. The Reduviidae (Insects: Hemiptera) of Alachua Co, Florida.
Thesis presented to Graduate Council of The University of Florida.

Wygodzinsky, P. W. 1966. A Monograph of the Emesinae (Reduviidae, Hemiptera).

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.133: 586-599.

18