Diagnosis and Specialized Morphology
Species of Sphaeridopinae are characterized by:
- head slightly projecting beyond anterior margin of compound eyes
- compound eyes large and nearly contiguous ventrally
- antennae inserted on anteriorly projecting tubercules
- labium straight
- 3-segmented tarsi
Taxonomic History
Taxonomic history for this subfamily is being reviewed.
Natural History/Biology
The Sphaeridopinae is a Neotropical subfamily that is comprised of four genera. Pinto (1927) believed that species fed on vertebrate blood based on the structure of the labium. However, according to Schuh & Slater (1995), there appears to be no direct evidence of vertebrate blood-feeding.
Check out revisions of the subfamily here!
References
Pinto, C. 1927. Sphaeridopidae, nova familia de Hemiptero Reduvioideae, com a descricao de um genero e especie nova. Bol. Biol., Sao Paulo 6: 43-51.
Schuh, R.T., Slater, J.A. 1995. True Bugs of the World (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): Classification and Natural History. Comstock Pub. Associates, Ithaca. 336 pp.