Predatory-insects
Guides
Bittacidae
Hangingflies, Hanging scorpionflies
Bittacidae is a family of scorpionflies commonly known as hangingflies or hanging scorpionflies. Adults are characterized by their distinctive hanging posture, grasping vegetation with their forelegs while using their raptorial hindlegs to capture prey. The family exhibits notable sexual behavior including nuptial prey gift exchange, where males present captured prey to females during courtship. Bittacidae has a cosmopolitan distribution with significant diversity in Australia, where the genus Harpobittacus represents the largest radiation. The family has been subject to extensive taxonomic study, particularly in the Afrotropics where Dr. Jason Londt described more species than any other author.
Castolus
Castolus is a genus of assassin bugs (family Reduviidae) comprising approximately 16 described species. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of predatory true bugs. The genus was established by Carl Stål in 1858. Like other reduviids, species in this genus are predatory, though specific natural history details for most Castolus species remain poorly documented.
Coenagrionidae
Narrow-winged Damselflies, Pond Damselflies
Coenagrionidae is the largest family of damselflies, comprising over 1,300 species across more than 110 genera. Members are commonly known as narrow-winged or pond damselflies. They are distinguished from other damselfly families by wing venation characters, including two antenodal cross veins and the position of vein M3 relative to the nodus and arculus. The family has a worldwide distribution and is divided into six subfamilies: Agriocnemidinae, Argiinae, Coenagrioninae, Ischnurinae, Leptobasinae, and Pseudagrioninae.
Emesinae
Thread-legged Bugs
Emesinae, commonly known as thread-legged bugs, are a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) distinguished by their exceptionally slender body form. They are predatory insects that walk on their mid and hind legs while using their raptorial front legs to capture prey. The subfamily contains approximately 90 genera and 900 described species, with greatest diversity in tropical regions, particularly Africa. Some groups specialize on spiders as prey. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have questioned the monophyly of Emesinae, suggesting the group may be polyphyletic with respect to Saicinae and Visayanocorinae.
Gnopholeon
Gnopholeon is a genus of antlions (family Myrmeleontidae) established by Stange in 1970. As a member of the neuropteran order, this genus comprises predatory insects whose larvae construct pit traps to capture prey. The genus is poorly documented in public literature, with limited species-level information available.
Harpactorinae
Assassin bugs
Harpactorinae is the largest subfamily of Reduviidae (assassin bugs), comprising approximately 300 genera and 2,000 described species worldwide. Members are characterized by diverse predatory strategies, including raptorial forelegs for prey capture and, in some genera, adhesive secretions used as sticky traps. Several genera—notably Zelus, Pselliopus, Sinea, and Apiomerus—have been investigated for biological pest control applications in agricultural systems.
Heza
Heza is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, first described in 1843. The genus contains more than 30 described species distributed throughout the Americas. These insects are predatory true bugs belonging to the subfamily Harpactorinae, one of the most diverse groups within Reduviidae.
Metapterini
Metapterini is a tribe of thread-legged bugs within the assassin bug subfamily Emesinae (family Reduviidae). Members of this tribe are characterized by their elongated, slender legs and raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. The tribe was established by Carl Stål in 1874 and is distinguished from other Emesinae tribes by specific morphological features of the head and leg structure.
Negha
American Square-headed Snakeflies
Negha is a genus of snakeflies in the family Inocelliidae, commonly known as American Square-headed Snakeflies. The genus contains at least three described species: N. inflata, N. longicornis, and N. meridionalis. Members of this genus are characterized by their distinctive square-shaped head capsules, a trait that distinguishes them within the order Raphidioptera. These insects are predatory as adults and larvae, feeding on other small arthropods.
Nepoidea
Nepoidea is a superfamily of aquatic true bugs comprising two families: Belostomatidae (giant water bugs) and Nepidae (water scorpions). These are the largest-bodied members of the infraorder Nepomorpha and function as top predators in freshwater ecosystems. A distinctive morphological trait is the reduction and concealment of antennae in grooves behind the eyes, an adaptation to submerged aquatic life. The antennal sensilla exhibit remarkable structural diversity, with 11 morphological types identified including mechanosensilla, thermo-hygrosensilla, and olfactory sensilla that facilitate environmental sensing and prey detection.
Opisthacidius
Opisthacidius is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Reduviinae. It was established by Berg in 1879 and is native to South America. The genus comprises predatory true bugs that hunt other insects using raptorial forelegs and a piercing-sucking proboscis.
Salda
shore bugs
Salda is a genus of shore bugs in the family Saldidae, comprising approximately 18 described species. These small predatory insects inhabit moist shoreline environments where they actively hunt for prey. As members of the true bugs (Hemiptera), they possess piercing-sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on other small invertebrates. The genus was established by Fabricius in 1803 and represents a well-defined group within the shore bug family.
Zelus
sundew assassin bugs, milkweed assassin bugs, leafhopper assassin bugs
Zelus is a genus of assassin bugs (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) containing approximately 60 described species, with the majority distributed in Central and South America and five species occurring in North America. The genus is characterized by a distinctive predatory adaptation: the forelegs bear dense hairs coated with a sticky, glue-like secretion produced by specialized glands, enabling prey capture through adhesion rather than force. This 'sticky trap' strategy has earned them the common name 'sundew assassin bugs,' analogous to the carnivorous sundew plants. The genus includes notable species such as Zelus longipes (milkweed assassin bug), Z. luridus, Z. renardii (leafhopper assassin bug), and Z. tetracanthus.