Repipta taurus
| Repipta taurus | ||||||||||
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Repipta taurus |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Repipta taurus | ||||||||||
| ( Fabricius , 1803) |
Repipta taurus is a type of bug from the family of predatory bugs (Reduviidae).
features
The bugs are 11 to 13 millimeters long. The orange-black colored bugs have four pointed black thorns protruding to the side and upwards on their pronotum. Two more pointed black thorns are located on the head between the compound eyes and the antennae.
distribution
The species occurs in the Nearctic and Neotropical . It is common, but not common, in the southeastern part of the United States (Texas, Florida, North Carolina). To the south the distribution area extends to Panama.
Way of life
The bugs are considered beneficial insects . They predatorily feed on various arthropods , some of which are considered to be agricultural pests . Their prey includes butterfly larvae, beetles, flies and mosquitoes.
etymology
The name addition taurus is derived from Latin and means "bull". In English, the bugs are also called Red Bull Assassin Bugs ("Red Bull Murder Bugs ") or Horned Assassin Bugs ("Horned Murder Bugs ").
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Betty Gray: Beneficials in the Garden: Horned Assassin Bug . Galveston County Master Gardener Association, Inc .. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ↑ a b c d Featured Creatures: Zelus longipes . University of Florida, IFAS, Entomology & Nematology. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
Web links
- Repipta taurus in the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)