Amauroclopius ornatus

Amauroclopius ornatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Harpactorinae
Tribe: Apiomerini
Genus: Amauroclopius
Species: A. ornatus
Binomial name
Amauroclopius ornatus
Distant, 1903

Amauroclopius ornatus, or is an assassin bug that is thought to prey upon bees. A. ornatus is associated with the cativo tree of Colombia (Prioria copaifera Leguminosae / Caesalpinioideae).[1]

Wygodzinsky reported an individual of A. ornatus to be found feeding on a bee.[2] Probably A. ornatus feeds upon euglossine bees, as these bees are known to use the resins of the Prioria tree in their nest construction. Other Apiomerini also show these kinds of associations with bees and plant resins.

References

  1. Dmitri Forero (2006). "New records of Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from Colombia and other Neotropical countries". Zootaxa 1107: 1–47.
  2. Wygodzinsky, P. (1947b) Sôbre alguns “Reduviidae” do Brazil central (Hemiptera). Revista Brasileira de Biologia, 7, 423–434.