Diagnosis and Specialized Morphology
Holoptilinae are sometimes referred to as feather-legged assassin bugs. Most members of this subfamily are characterized by:
- long to very long setae on body and legs
- forewing membrane usually with one closed cell or two longitudinal veins
- antennal flagellomeres sometimes fused
- some species with trichome and associated gland on abdominal sternum 3
Taxonomic History
According to Wygodzinsky & Usinger (1963), Holoptilinae is comprised of about 80 species (15 genera) in three tribes: Holoptilini, Dasycnemini, and Aradellini. Wygodzinsky & Usinger also produced a key to the genera in the same publication.
Natural History/Biology
Most holoptiline species occur in the southern Palearctic, Old World tropics, and Australia (Malipatil 1985, Schuh & Slater 1995. One genus, Neolocoptiris Wygodzinsky & Usinger, is found in Guyana (Schuh & Slater 1995).
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References
Malipatil, M.B. 1985. Revision of Australian Holoptilinae (Reduviidae: Heteroptera). Aust. J. Zool. 33: 283-299.
Schuh, R.T., Slater, J.A. 1995. True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): Classification and Natural History. Comstock Pub. Associates, Ithaca. 336 pp.
Wygodzinsky, P., Usinger, R.L. 1963. Classification of the Holoptinae and description of the first representive from the New World (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. (B) 32: 47-52.