Body elongate, widened posteriorly, covered with fine pubescence in addition to long bristly hairs. Head dorsally with transverse impression in front of ocelli and almost near hind margin of eyes.
Assassin Bugs
Reduviidae Latreille, 1807
Type genus: Reduvius Fabricius, 1775
(after Masonick et al. 2025): A key synapomorphy of Reduviidae is the presence of a prosternal stridulatory groove. This structure is found in nearly all assassin bugs and does not occur in Pachynomidae nor other Cimicomorpha. Platymicrus and Heteropinus (and certain other Reduviidae) have extremely reduced stridulatory grooves. The presence of a narrow groove formed by parallel carinae on the metapleuron extending anteriorly from the opening of the Brindley’s gland—the presence of the gland being a synapomorphy of Reduvioidea (Reduviidae + Pachynomidae)—is also diagnostic for the family. Among Emesinae, however, we consider the lack of any external morphology that is typically associated with the Brindley’s gland as an indication that this internal feature is either secondarily absent or has been greatly reduced.
Coranus
3 species
Ectomocoris
6 species
This group includes all emesine bugs that cannot be referred to a genus.
Emesinae gen. indet.
1 species
Micropolytoxus
1 species
Oncocephalus
7 species
Poecilosphodrus
1 species
Ptilocnemus
1 species
Reduviidae gen. indet.
1 species
Reduviinae gen. indet.
4 species
Stenolemus
1 species
Stenopodainae gen. indet.
1 species
Trachylestes
1 species
Publications
Masonick PK, Knyshov A, Gordon ERL, Forero D, Hwang WS (2025): A revised classification of the assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) based on combined analysis of phylogenomic and morphological data. Systematic Entomology. 50: 102 - 138DOI