Diagnosis and Specialized Morphology
Species of Saicinae are characterized by:
- absence of ocelli
- second visible labial segment expanded and basally bulbous
- opposing surfaces of head and labium with stiff setae or spines
- absence of fossula spongiosa
Taxonomic History
Saicinae was first recognized by Stal (1859). Currently, the subfamily is comprised of 21 genera in two tribes: Saicini and Visayanocorini (Schuh & Slater 1995). Wygodzinsky (1966) treated Saicinae as the sister group to Emesinae. Maldonado (1981) and Villiers (1969) produced keys to the American and African genera, respectively.
Natural History/Biology
Specimens of this subfamily are commonly collected at lights. Little else is currently known of Saicinae life history.
References
Maldonado, J. 1981. A new Ghilianella and a new saicine genus, Buninotus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), from Panama. J. Agric. Univ. Puerto Rico 65: 401-407.
Schuh, R.T., Slater, J.A. 1995. True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): Classification and Natural History. Comstock Pub. Associates, Ithaca. 336 pp.
Stal, C. 1859. Nova methodus Reduvina (Burm.) disponendi. Berl. Entomol. Z. 3: 328.
Villiers, A. 1969. Revision des Reduviides africains. IV. Saicinae. Bull. I. F. A. N. 31: 1186-1247.
Wygodzinsky, P. 1966. A monograph of the Emesinae (Reduviidae, Hemiptera). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 133: 1-614.