Acanthaspis petax

Acanthaspis petax
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Superfamily: Cimicomorpha
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Reduviinae
Genus: Acanthaspis
Species: A. petax
Binomial name
Acanthaspis petax
Stål, 1865

Acanthaspis petax is a species of assassin bug that preys on ants and some smaller organism such as beetles and flies. This species uses carcasses of its preferred prey item to disguise itself from predation from spiders in the salticidae family.[1][2][3]

This insect lives in East Africa near Lake Victoria, in countries including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.[4] It measures about 1 cm (0.4 in) in length.

References

  1. ↑ Jackson, R. R.; Pollard, S. D. (2007). "Bugs with backpacks deter vision-guided predation by jumping spiders". Journal of Zoology. 273 (4): 358–63. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00335.x.
  2. ↑ Chandra, Kailash; Kushwaha, Sandeep; Biswas, B.; Mukherjee, Paramita; Bal, Animesh (2012). "Eight New Records of Genus Acanthaspis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) from Madhya Pradesh, India" (PDF). World Journal of Zoology. 7 (3): 226–231. doi:10.5829/idosi.wjz.2012.7.3.64114 (inactive 2018-09-22). ISSN 1817-3098. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Odhiambo, Thomas R. (1958). "The camouflaging habits of Acanthaspis petax Stål (Hem., Reduviidae) in Uganda". Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 94: 47.
  4. ↑ Jackson, R. R.; Pollard, S. D. (2007-12-01). "Bugs with backpacks deter vision‐guided predation by jumping spiders". Journal of Zoology. 273 (4): 358–363. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00335.x. ISSN 1469-7998.

Further reading

  • Brandt, Miriam; Mahsberg, Dieter (2002). "Bugs with a backpack: The function of nymphal camouflage in the West African assassin bugs Paredocla and Acanthaspis spp". Animal Behaviour. 63 (2): 277–84. doi:10.1006/anbe.2001.1910.
  • Odhiambo, Thomas R. (2009). "Some Observations on the Natural History of Acanthaspis Petax Stål (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Living in Termite Mounds in Uganda". Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London A. 33 (10–12): 167–75. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3032.1958.tb00449.x.
  • Stromberg, Joseph (May 8, 2012). "This Insect Uses Its Victims' Carcasses As Camouflage". Smithsonian.
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