Apiomerus spissipes

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Apiomerus spissipes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apiomerus#/media/File:Apiomeris_spissipes.jpg

 Apiomerus is a part of the family Harpactorinae, which is the largest subfamily of Reduviidae, commonly known as the assassin bugs, are mostly known for predating on stingless bees, giving them the nickname of “bee assassins.” Apiomerus spissipes are found to feed on the harvester ants of Texas. A study done by the departments of biology and zoology of Brock Univeristy, Temple Junior College and University of Texas, looked to see if the presence of reduviids reduced the activity of these ants above ground.

In the Apiomerus genus, there are 101 known species, which are restricted to the Western Hemisphere, ranging from Argentina to the United States. The majority are located in tropical regions in South America. Most reduviids are predacious and have piercing mouth parts that are used for sucking body fluids of their prey. Various species prey on different insects and use camouflage as a way of hiding. The Tegea atropicta, found in Australia, will wait by rotting wood and prey on termites that are located within. Another, the Empicoris rubomaculatus, cuts its way into spider webs to feed on the residents. They vary in size, ranging from 4.0mm to 40mm, color, mainly brown, black, red, or orange, and shape, but the Apiomerus spissipes, which feeds on harvester ants, is the main focus of this post.

Apiomerus spissipes size ranges by gender, male are 14.1-16.6 mm in size and females are 14.2-17.4 mm in size. Coloration in this genus is what helps with identification but A.spissipes, as shown above, are black, red and off white, making them polychromatic. They belong to the order of Hemiptera and the suborder Heteroptera, making them true bugs. Reduviids have oval-shaoed abdominal area with wings that overlap, creating an “X” shape on their back. Their heads project outwardly from their body and their front two legs are more powerful as well as stronger for catching and holding onto prey. They have the habit of lurking around different placing waiting for their prey.

The Apiomerus spissipes demonstrates a behavior that is called “hunting by expectation” which entails that they hunt in areas that more than likely contain suitable prey. This assassin bug, finds its way to the flat grasslands of Texas to prey upon Pogonomyrmex barbatus, as shown below, which is commonly found in these areas. However, in an earlier study that was mentioned, they found that A. spisspes in Kansas, preyed preferably on Coleoptera and Diptera. Another showed that they fed on bees that were in flowers. This could show that geography could play a factor on eating habits. However, this study showed that they prey on ants and the areas that were picked for this study are Hamilton County, in an overgrazed pasture, and Travis County, in grassy fields.

Pogonomyrmex barbatus

In this study, they observed harvester at nests for the side of predation by reduviids. The entrances holes of the nests, are continually cleared of vegetation and trails can be seen branching off where they forage seeds and other things. Along ant trails, observations of awaiting adult A. spissipes were capturing and eating ants. The colors of their body blended them in perfectly with the surrounding terrain, which made it difficult for the ants to know that they were around. They had found that sixteen out of the fifty-two nests that were reserved, had at least one reduviid awaiting to feast.

The feeding behavior of the A. spissipes is an interesting one. First they extend their bodies onto their back to legs and hold their first pair out. Went an ant walks unknowingly by, they use their first pair of legs, known as the anterior legs, to capture the prey and maneuver its body so their piercing beak is ventral to the ants head. They insert their beak posterior in the ant’s membrane and begin feeding. This process can take up to two hours, and the ant is continually rotated during feeding. Most predation Reduviidae, inject a lethal saliva that contains digestive enzymes that liquefies the interior of their prey, similar to most spiders. The enzymes, which are amylase, lipase, and protease, breaks down tissues and allows for the assassins to swallow it. Once this ant is done, they essentially begin the process again. Other studies show that other reduviids prey on ants, such as the Aphilanthops haigi of Arizona and the Ptilocercus orchraceus, of southeast Asia.


Reduviids prey on several kinds of insects, depending on each species desires. They are predatious insects and have peculiar ways of using their God given abilities to meet the needs that they have instinctually. They are known as biological pest controllers, since they prey on several kinds of pest, which is hypothesized as their purpose, however, they could have other known uses that we haven’t discovered yet. These insects have interesting features, as well as many others, making them unique for research and observation.
Citations:
1. Cade, W. H., P. H. Simpson, and O. P. Breland. Apiomerus Spissipes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): A Predator of Harvestor Ants of Texas 3 (1978): 195-98. Aug. 1978. Web. 18 May 2016.                          

2. Fortera, Dimitri, Lily Bernriker, and Sigurd Szerlip. A Polychromatic New Species of Apiomerus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) from Central America (n.d.): n. pag. June 2010. Web. 18 May 2016.                          

3. Berniker, Lily. Revision of the Crassipes and Pictipes Species Groups of Apiomerus Hahn (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae). Auckland: Magnolia, 2011. 8 July 2011. Web. 18 May 2016.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/4429
http://www.eol.org/pages/632/details#molecular_biology
http://www.entomol.org/journal/index.php?journal=JERS&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=176&path%5B%5D=52

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