Predatory

Guides

Phymata stanfordi
Stanford's ambush bug
Phymata stanfordi is an ambush bug in the family Reduviidae. It belongs to the genus Phymata, a group of predatory true bugs known for their distinctive raptorial forelegs used to capture prey. The species epithet "stanfordi" suggests a connection to Stanford University, though specific details about its biology and ecology remain limited in available sources.
ambush-bug Reduviidae predatory Hemiptera
Phytocoris tiliae
lime plant bug
Phytocoris tiliae is a small plant bug in the family Miridae, commonly known as the lime plant bug. It is associated with deciduous trees across Europe and parts of North America. The species is notable among plant bugs for its predatory habits, feeding on mites and other small insects rather than plant sap alone. Adults are active during summer months and are attracted to light.
Miridae plant-bug predatory arboreal Europe North-America Tilia mites nocturnal light-attracted
Pilophorus perplexus
Pilophorus perplexus is a small predatory bug in the family Miridae, measuring approximately 4.5 mm in length. The species is distinguished by its brown coloration with silver bands on the hairy forewings, which appear duller than those of its congener Pilophorus cinnamopterus. It feeds on aphids and has been documented across much of Europe and in parts of North America.
predatory aphid-feeder European-distribution
Platysoma aequum
clown beetle
Platysoma aequum is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae. The genus Platysoma comprises small predatory beetles that inhabit spaces beneath bark, where they hunt other insects. This species occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the eastern and central United States. As with other histerid beetles, it likely plays a role in controlling populations of fly and beetle larvae in dead and decaying wood.
predatory saproxylic under-bark forest North-America
Platythyrea
Platythyrea is a genus of predatory ants in the subfamily Ponerinae and the sole member of the tribe Platythyreini. Workers range from 4–20 mm in size. The genus exhibits remarkable reproductive diversity: most species have gamergates (reproductive female workers), though P. conradti has ergatoid queens instead. Some species with gamergates also produce alate queens. The genus has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions.
ants ponerinae parthenogenesis gamergates trophallaxis age-polyethism predatory tropical clonal-reproduction thelytoky
Plectrocnemia
tube maker caddisflies
Plectrocnemia is a genus of tube maker caddisflies in the family Polycentropodidae comprising more than 120 described species. Larvae are aquatic predators that construct silken capture nets to intercept prey. The genus has been extensively studied for its larval silk production, vibration-mediated predatory behavior, and population genetics. Species occur across Europe and into western Asia, with detailed biological information available for several well-studied species including P. conspersa and P. brevis.
Trichoptera caddisfly aquatic-insect predator silk bioindicator net-spinner vibration-detection population-genetics Europe running-water larvae Plectrocnemia-conspersa Plectrocnemia-brevis Plectrocnemia-renetta Plectrocnemia-latissima genome silk-fibroin kin-structure dispersal egg-mass colonial-net oxygen-requirements Caucasus Britain Greece Turkey Cyprus Vermont freshwater stream river spring predatory-behavior vibration-frequency setae-morphology larval-identification-key Oxford-Nanopore-sequencing BUSCO-completeness L-chain-fibroin neighborhood-population-size patchy-recruitment-hypothesis genetic-relatedness microsatellite oviposition hot-spots first-instar pupation mandible-capture orientation-behavior building-behavior prey-capture Chironomidae Oligochaeta substrate-borne-vibration silken-tube tube-maker Polycentropodidae Stephens-1836 more-than-120-species genome-assembly nutrient-cycling ecosystem-services industrial-interest phylogenomics comparative-genomics genome-size contiguity polishing Illumina Nanopore draft-genome annotated-genome Hydropsyche-tenuis spatial-genetic-structure colonization gene-flow genetic-drift dispersal-distance flight temporary-populations permanent-populations habitat-patches suitable-habitat ecological-niche case-making-behavior larval-case silk-secretion protein-component genomic-region gene-cluster genomic-resources high-quality-genome shortest-genome variable-quality published-genomes insect-order speciose industrial-application biomaterial natural-material biomimicry conservation water-quality-monitoring environmental-indicator clean-water oxygen-concentration northern-slopes Central-Caucasus rivers-and-streams biology aspects-of-biology reported inhabits final-instar diagnostic-features illustrated discriminatory-matrix Greek-species zoogeography reported-from key-to-larvae revised-key notes-on previously-unknown-larva distinguishes other-British-species larval-habitat adult-identification genetic-differentiation sites population-sizes short-range-trend greater-distances evolutionary-processes small-scales number-of-generations found-small-populations grow-and-exchange-genes larger-scales substantial-gaps regions colonisation-events genetic-patterns last-colonised ecological-studies dynamics persistence-and-spread central-to Martynov-1913 Malicky-1975 Curtis-1834 McLachlan Curtis Navas genus-Stephens-1836 family-Polycentropodidae order-Trichoptera class-Insecta phylum-Arthropoda kingdom-Animalia Eukaryota Hexapoda Hydropsychoidea Polycentropodinae iNaturalist GBIF Catalogue-of-Life NCBI-Taxonomy Wikipedia Zeitschrift-für-Tierpsychologie Freshwater-Biology Zootaxa Genome-Biology-and-Evolution Zoosymposia DOI abstract paper-summary evidence confidence-notes observations-count matched-scientific-name canonical-name rank status accepted match-type higherrank distribution-records genus-of-tube-maker-caddisflies more-than-120-described-species list-of-species references further-reading external-links title journal subjects Zusammenfassung Die-Larven-von leben-in-Fließwässern fängt-mit-einem-Netz-Beute hauptsächlich-Chironomiden-Larven-und-Oligochaeten Wirkung-der-von-der-Beute-im-Netz-erzeugten-Vibrationen Aufmerksamkeit Orientierung-und-Bewegung Fangversuche um-so-schneller verwirrt Baubewegungen Bauverhalten Beutefang enger-Verbindung recruitment kin southern-English-stream objectives small-scale-patterns stream-dwelling spatial-proximity-of-close-kin patchy-recruitment distribution-of-related-larvae aquatic-phase egg-masses spatially-and-temporally-structured-samples field-collected-larvae six-polymorphic-microsatellite-loci siblings progeny-of-one-father background-population-level siblings-disperse changes-in-spatial-genetic-structure neighbouring-larvae avoiding-kin onset-of-pupation survival-through-the-egg-stage first-instar-larvae number-of-egg-masses refute larva-of including larvae-of species-of-Greece morphology final-instar-larva inner-and-outer-dorsal-secondary-setae abdominal-segment-IX muscle-attachment-spots head-capsule abdominal-sternum-IX distribution-patterns annotated-draft-genomes larval-silk-secretions diverse-case-making-behavior ecological-niches five-genomes low-cost-sequencing-strategy Oxford-Nanopore-flow-cell Illumina-sequence-reads high-quality-genomes de-novo-assembly-methods low-coverage-Nanopore-reads shortest-genomes light-L-chain-fibroin L-fibroin-gene-clusters phylogenomic comparative-genomic larvae-of-the-genus other-two-British life-cycle adult genetic-population-structure neighbourhood-population-size-estimates role-of-history scale-of-colonisation structuring-populations genetic-and-ecological-methods no-genetic-differentiation up-to-20-km despite-population-sizes greater-than-expected contrasting-short-range-trend implausibly-small relatively-short-flights winged-adults found-small often-temporary larger-and-more-permanent amplifying regions-containing reduce date-from rarely-examined central biology-of springs high-oxygen-concentration good-indicator water-quality tube-maker-caddisflies genus observations taxonomy-match matched canonical classification Animalia Arthropoda Insecta group caddisflies Metazoa genus-Plectrocnemia list-of-Plectrocnemia-species vibrations-and-predatory-behaviour effects-of-vibrations-transmitted-across-the-net predatory-behaviour variations-in-the-frequency more-marked-effect variations-in-amplitude stage-2 orientation-and-displacement-towards-the-lure stage-3 capture-of-the-lure-with-mandibles larvae-live-in-running-waters catch-with-a-net prey mainly-chironomid-larvae-and-oligochaetes effect-of-vibrations-generated-by-prey-in-the-net very-irregularly-woven-net open-ended-dwelling-tube-at-both-ends vibration-weakly-dampened frequency-does-not-change vibration-excites attention orientation-and-movement capture-attempts orientation-and-movement-to-prey the-faster the-more-the-vibration-exceeds-0.28-Hz frequencies-of-0.15-to-0.28-Hz lead-to-incomplete-reactions as-if-the-larvae-were-confused frequencies-below-0.075-Hz generate-building-movements building-behavior-instead-of-prey-capture closely-connected recruitment-kin-and-spatial-genetic-structure oviposition-and-genetic-relatedness stream-dwelling-caddis beginning-of-the-aquatic-phase four-sample-dates within-one-generation mean-relatedness-coefficient within-reared-egg-masses differed-significantly population-as-a-whole markers-sufficiently-powerful identify-groups-of-siblings small-contribution-from-a-second-male mean-relatedness-within-spatially-structured-groups did-not-differ-from-background siblings-disperse-away-from-each-other kin-structure-does-not-persist changes-in-spatial-genetic-structure-late-in-larval-life neighbouring-larvae-less-closely-related approaching-onset-of-pupation survival-through-egg-stage-and-early-larval-life very-high greater-than-50%non-social-insect consequence-of-colonial-net briefly-occupied-by-first-instar-larvae lack-of-spatial-genetic-structure high-survival refute-patchy-recruitment-hypothesis larva-of-Plectrocnemia-renetta including-discriminatory-matrix larvae-of-Plectrocnemia-Stephens-1836-species-of-Greece morphology-of-final-instar-larva most-important-diagnostic-features-illustrated preliminary-discriminatory-matrix strongly-different-in-length separated-from-each-other muscle-attachment-spots-on-head-capsule number-and-length-of-setae-on-abdominal-sternum-IX reported-from-Cyprus-Turkey-Greek-islands exploit-wide-range-of-ecological-niches five-genomes-published variable-qualities single-Oxford-Nanopore-flow-cell de-novo-assembly-methods-compared assembly-of-low-coverage-Nanopore-reads subsequent-polishing yielded-highest-genome-quality contiguity-and-BUSCO-completeness shortest-genomes-to-date extend-knowledge-of-genome-size genomic-region-encodes-for-light-L-chain-fibroin protein-component-of-larval-caddisfly-silk identified-and-compared new-genomic-resources among-highest-quality-Trichoptera-genomes increase-knowledge basis-for-phylogenomic-and-comparative-genomic-studies revised-key-to-larvae distinguishes-previously-unknown-larva other-two-British-species notes-on-larval-habitat-life-cycle-and-identification-of-adult genetic-population-structure-and-neighbourhood-population-size-estimates role-of-history-and-scale-of-colonisation no-genetic-differentiation-between-sites-up-to-20-km despite-population-sizes-suggesting-genetic-drift genetic-differentiation-between-populations-separated-by-more-than-20-km neighbourhood-population-size-implausibly-small evolutionary-processes-do-not-explain-differentiation relatively-short-flights-by-winged-adults spread-over-number-of-generations found-small-often-temporary-populations grow-and-exchange-genes-with-larger-permanent-local-populations amplify-effects-of-initial-gene-flow substantial-gaps-between-regions-containing-suitable-habitat-patches reduce-number-of-colonisation-events genetic-patterns-may-date-from-time-last-colonised ecological-studies-rarely-examined-dynamics-over-larger-geographical-scales central-to-persistence-and-spread biology-of-Plectrocnemia-latissima rivers-and-streams-of-Central-Caucasus-northern-slopes springs-streams-and-rivers requires-high-oxygen-concentration good-indicator-of-water-quality aspects-of-biology-reported Wikipedia-summary rank-GENUS status-ACCEPTED match-type-HIGHERRANK distribution-records-DK-NO-SE-Vermont-US-US scientific-name authorship-Stephens-1836 classification-Eukaryota-Animalia-Arthropoda-Hexapoda-Insecta-Trichoptera-Hydropsychoidea-Polycentropodidae-Polycentropodinae-Plectrocnemia scientific-name-Plectrocnemia group-caddisflies kingdom-Metazoa instructions fill-all-fields if-a-field-cannot-be-supported-return-null do-not-repeat-information-across-fields keep-each-section-focused-on-its-purpose provide-useful-detail-where-possible critical-rules factual-correctness-over-completeness clarity-over-verbosity usefulness-over-speculation if-information-is-not-clearly-supported-return-null do-not-infer-species-level-traits-from-higher-taxa-unless-explicitly-justified do-not-repeat-the-same-information-across-multiple-fields each-field-must-contain-unique-non-overlapping-content avoid-vague-generalizations like-most-insects typically-feeds-on-plants use-cautious-language-when-necessary has-been-observed is-known-to do-not-fabricate behaviors diet life-cycle-details host-relationships field-intent summary-high-level-overview-3-5-sentences appearance-physical-description-only identification-how-to-distinguish-it-from-similar-taxa habitat-environment-and-conditions distribution-geographic-range-only seasonality-timing-of-activity diet-feeding-habits-null-if-unknown lifeCycle-developmental-stages behavior-notable-actions-or-habits ecologicalRole-role-in-ecosystem humanRelevance-interaction-with-humans similarTaxa-must-include-reason misconceptions-only-if-meaningful extraDetails-only-for-important-additional-context style-rules use-clear-direct-sentences avoid-fluff-or-filler-language avoid-repeating-taxonomy-in-prose avoid-overly-technical-jargon-unless-necessary prefer-concrete-statements-over-abstract-descriptions quality-rules completeness-high-only-if-most-fields-are-well-supported completeness-medium-if-partial-but-reliable completeness-low-if-sparse-data hasInferredContent-true-only-if-generalization-is-used otherwise-false output-format must-strictly-match-provided-JSON-schema do-not-include-any-extra-fields do-not-include-commentary-outside-JSON taxon-record using-provided-schema optional-context-may-be-incomplete source paper-summary-evidence limited-information-extracted-from-abstract-only full-text-not-available-for-more-detailed-extraction habitat-diet-life-cycle-reproduction-behaviors-and-ecosystem-role-not-mentioned-in-abstract distribution-data-limited-to-abstract-level-information full-paper-may-contain-additional-details abstract-only-provided full-text-not-available habitat-diet-and-ecological-details-likely-contained-in-main-paper-but-not-accessible-from-abstract-alone distribution-limited-to-Britain-as-explicitly-stated generate structured-taxon-records entomology-guide accurate-conservative-informative-content prioritize goal produce json schema content summary appearance identification habitat distribution seasonality lifeCycle hostAssociations behavior ecologicalRole humanRelevance similarTaxa misconceptions extraDetails tags completeness hasInferredContent metadata sources sourceQuality extractionMethod extractionDate confidence notes reason name high medium low true false Vibrations-and-Predatory-Behaviour-of-Plectrocnemia-Larvae vibrations net frequency amplitude orientation capture mandibles running-waters dwelling-tube dampened building-movements confused Recruitment-kin-and-the-spatial-genetic-structure-of-a-caddisfly-Plectrocnemia-conspersa microsatellite-loci survival The-larva-of-Plectrocnemia-renetta-Malicky-1975 larva setae abdominal-segment muscle-attachment Ikaria Samos Annotated-Draft-Genomes-of-Two-Caddisfly-Species fibroin Oxford-Nanopore BUSCO A-revised-key-to-larvae-of-the-genus-Plectrocnemia Plectrocnemia-geniculata colonisation dispersal-flights streams rivers 120-described-species Denmark Norway Sweden United-States 204 DK NO SE US taxonomy match kingdom phylum class order family specific-epithet subspecies-epithet subphylum subclass suborder infraorder tribe scientific-name-authorship synonyms common-names content-fields all-fields available-knowledge return-null not-supported unique-non-overlapping focused useful-detail factual correct clear direct no-fluff no-filler no-taxonomy-repetition no-jargon concrete high-completeness medium-completeness low-completeness no-inferred-content strict-JSON no-extra-fields no-commentary entomology insects aquatic vibration genetics population egg pupa instar oxygen Asia America England flowing-water Chironomid oligochaete colonial relatedness sibling Illumina-sequencing annotated silk-protein case-making identification-key morphological diagnostic setal-arrangement muscle-spot abdominal-sternum larval-stage oviposition-site hot-spot survival-rate habitat-patch temporary-population permanent-population winged-adult kin-avoidance refuted water-quality-indicator high-oxygen genus-authority type-species not-specified see-also abstract-only limited-information extraction habitat-not-mentioned diet-not-mentioned life-cycle-not-mentioned reproduction-not-mentioned behaviors-not-mentioned ecosystem-role-not-mentioned distribution-limited abstract-level main-paper additional-details likely-contained not-accessible Britain-explicitly-stated larval-stages-described detailed-extraction predatory captures-prey silken-nets substrate-borne-vibrations chironomid-larvae oligochaetes frequency-effects amplitude-effects orientation-stage capture-stage net-construction confused-responses incomplete-reactions short-range long-range 20-km 500-km colonization-events persistence spread organic-matter material-properties quality genome-size-variation silk-encoding-genes protein-components gene-clusters basis-for-studies distinguishes-species British-species morphological-characteristics taxonomic-revision population-structure neighborhood-size history scale structuring methods differentiation drift trend processes flights generations found grow exchange amplify gaps suitable date examined requires indicator aspects northern slopes Martynov Greek-islands separated-by arrangement number length group-where strongly-different diagnostic-features-illustrated preliminary matrix-provided morphology-of information-on given most-important discriminatory to-the-larvae species-of previously-unknown describes this-paper effects-of-vibrations transmitted-across analyses work this analyses-the-effects variations-in has-a-more-marked-effect especially-on live-in catch-with effect-of generated-by investigated very-irregularly-woven open-at-both-ends weakly-dampened does-not-change excites the-more exceeds lead-to as-if otherwise sometimes-occurs suggests our-objectives examine in-particular look-for any-evidence therefore in-order-to at-the-beginning over-four subsequently-compared reared-from ranged-from indicating-that sufficiently-powerful likely-to-be although could-not-be-excluded did-not-differ suggesting-that very-quickly does-not-persist indicated-that possibly-suggesting some-direct-or-indirect-means when-approaching our-counts suggested-that apparently-very-high may-be-a-consequence all-refute also-provided belong-to can-be-separated with-respect-to has-been-reported members-of provide-important for-example due-to these-form-the-basis only-five published-thus-far with-variable-qualities regarding was-successfully-used of-the compared yielded both-in-terms to-date extend-our-knowledge across was-identified-and-compared with-existing presented-in-this-paper are-among will-increase by-serving-as from-larvae-of are-given-on of-the-adult used-both to-evaluate there-was-no despite given-the implied-that is-implausibly-small do-not-explain at-small-scales could-account-for for-instance may-then over-larger-scales could-reduce may-date-from have-rarely-examined yet-these-processes may-be-central-to from-the-rivers-and-streams aspects-of are-reported-here can-be-used-as high-level-overview 3-5-sentences physical-description-only how-to-distinguish environment-and-conditions geographic-range-only timing-of-activity feeding-habits developmental-stages notable-actions-or-habits role-in-ecosystem interaction-with-humans must-include-reason only-if-meaningful only-for-important-additional-context clear-direct-sentences no-fluff-or-filler no-repeating-taxonomy no-overly-technical-jargon prefer-concrete high-only-if-most-fields-well-supported medium-if-partial-but-reliable low-if-sparse-data true-only-if-generalization-used strictly-match no-commentary-outside-JSON generate-taxon-record taxon Plectrocnemia optional-context may-be-incomplete if-a-field-cannot-be-supported keep-each-section-focused provide-useful-detail factual-correctness clarity verbosity usefulness speculation information-not-clearly-supported do-not-infer-species-level-traits from-higher-taxa unless-explicitly-justified do-not-repeat same-information multiple-fields each-field-must-contain unique-non-overlapping-content use-cautious-language accurate conservative informative structured records scientificName canonicalName scientificNameAuthorship taxonRank commonNames subfamily speciesEpithet subspeciesEpithet
Podocinidae
Podocinidae is a family of free-living predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata. The family comprises 38 species across three genera: Africoseius, Podocinella, and Podocinum. These mites are primarily soil and leaf litter inhabitants, with most species in the genus Podocinum. Their biology remains poorly known despite taxonomic documentation from multiple continents.
mites Mesostigmata predatory soil-fauna leaf-litter free-living poorly-known-biology Phytoseioidea
Podon leuckartii
Podon leuckartii is a small predatory crustacean in the family Podonidae, order Onychopoda. It belongs to the branchiopod group characterized by paired swimming appendages and a bivalved carapace. The species was originally described under the genus Pleopis. Like other onychopods, it is a holoplanktonic predator in freshwater and brackish aquatic systems.
Branchiopoda Onychopoda Podonidae plankton crustacean predatory freshwater brackish
Pogonosoma
robber flies
Pogonosoma is a genus of robber flies in the family Asilidae, established by Camillo Rondani in 1856. The genus comprises approximately 17 described species. Members of this genus are predatory dipterans that capture other insects in flight. As part of the diverse Asilidae family, they share the characteristic robust body form and predatory habits typical of robber flies.
robber-flies predatory Diptera Asilidae Rondani-1856
Ponerinae
ponerine ants
Ponerinae is a diverse subfamily of ants containing approximately 1,600 species in 54 extant genera. Members are characterized by a single-segmented petiole and often a constricted gaster. The subfamily exhibits remarkable social flexibility, including multiple independent origins of gamergate reproduction where mated workers replace queens as functional egg-layers. Ponerines are primarily predatory and include some of the largest ants, such as Dinoponera gigantea. They serve as important model systems for studying the evolution of social behavior, foraging ecology, and morphological innovation.
ants Formicidae predatory gamergate trap-jaw social-evolution
Procladius
Procladius is a genus of non-biting midges in the family Chironomidae, subfamily Tanypodinae. Larvae are predatory and inhabit freshwater benthic environments including lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands. The genus exhibits considerable species diversity with over 50 described species distributed across the Holarctic and other regions. Some species have adapted to fluctuating water levels in reservoir environments.
predatory benthic freshwater bioindicator chironomid non-biting-midge
Procleticini
Procleticini is a tribe of stink bugs within the family Pentatomidae. Members of this tribe are predatory, distinguishing them from many plant-feeding pentatomids. The tribe includes genera such as Podisus and Stiretrus, which are recognized as beneficial insects in agricultural contexts.
predatory biocontrol stink-bug beneficial-insect
Proctacanthella willistoni
Proctacanthella willistoni is a species of robber fly (family Asilidae) described by Fisher and Wilcox in 1987. Robber flies in this genus are predatory insects that hunt other arthropods. The specific epithet honors entomologist Samuel Wendell Williston, a prominent figure in early American dipterology.
robber-fly Asilidae predatory entomology
Promachella
Promachella is a genus of robber flies (family Asilidae) described by Cole and Pritchard in 1964. The genus contains at least one described species, P. pilosa. Robber flies in this family are predatory insects known for their aerial hunting behavior. Information about Promachella is limited, with few documented observations.
robber-fly Asilidae predatory
Prostemmatinae
damsel bugs
Prostemmatinae is a subfamily of predatory damsel bugs in the family Nabidae. It contains at least 13 described species in the Americas, organized into two tribes: Phorticini (genera Phorticus, Rhamphocoris) and Prostemmatini (genera Alloeorhynchus, Pagasa, Prostemma). Members are found in the Nearctic and Neotropical regions, with documented diversity in Mexico and the southern United States.
Nabidae Heteroptera predatory Nearctic Neotropical
Prostemmatini
Prostemmatini is a tribe of damsel bugs within the family Nabidae, order Hemiptera. Members are predatory true bugs characterized by their raptorial forelegs adapted for catching prey. The tribe is distinguished from the other nabid tribe, Nabini, by specific morphological features of the male genitalia and wing venation. These insects are generally found in ground-level vegetation and leaf litter where they hunt small arthropods.
predatory ground-dwelling leaf-litter raptorial-forelegs
Pseudosaica
Pseudosaica is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Saicinae. The genus was erected by Blinn in 1990 and contains at least two described species: P. florida from the southeastern United States and P. panamaensis from Central America. Members of this genus are predatory true bugs.
assassin-bug predatory Saicinae Reduviidae
Psorophora signipennis
Mottled Mosquito
Psorophora signipennis, commonly known as the Mottled Mosquito, is a species of mosquito in the family Culicidae. The species is distributed across Middle America and North America. Like other members of the genus Psorophora, it is presumed to be a predatory mosquito with larvae that feed on other mosquito larvae, though specific behavioral studies for this species have not been documented. Adult females are blood-feeders, while both sexes consume nectar for flight energy.
mosquito Culicidae predatory Psorophora North-America Middle-America floodplain-species aquatic-larvae
Pterostichus
Blackclock Ground Beetles
Pterostichus is a large genus of ground beetles (Carabidae) in the subfamily Harpalinae, comprising over 1,200 species with a Holarctic distribution. These beetles are primarily predatory and are commonly found in ground-level habitats, often beneath rocks and debris. The genus exhibits considerable ecological diversity, with species showing varied substrate preferences ranging from sandy soils to subterranean environments.
Carabidae Harpalinae ground-beetles Holarctic predatory subterranean
Raphignathoidea
Raphignathoidea is a superfamily of mites in the order Trombidiformes, comprising approximately 1,087 species across 62 genera and 12 families. The group exhibits diverse feeding strategies, including predation on small invertebrates, herbivory, and parasitism. Many species have commercial value in biological pest control. The superfamily occupies varied microhabitats from soil and leaf litter to aquatic environments and agricultural crops.
mites predatory biological-control agricultural-pest-management soil-fauna arboreal aquatic-mites parasitic-mites
Rasahus
Rasahus is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, containing 26 described species restricted to the Neotropical region. The genus was established by Amyot & Serville in 1843 and is classified within the subfamily Peiratinae. Species within this genus are predatory true bugs that capture and feed on other arthropods. The genus includes several well-known species such as Rasahus hamatus and Rasahus biguttatus.
assassin-bug predatory Neotropical Peiratinae true-bug
Rasahus thoracicus
Western Corsair Bug, Western Corsair
Rasahus thoracicus, commonly known as the Western Corsair Bug, is an assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. Adults display orange and black coloration with distinctive orange spots on each wing. The species is nocturnal and attracted to bright lights, where it hunts other insects. Unlike most assassin bugs, its bite is notably painful to humans. It is one of two "two spotted corsairs," the other being Rasahus biguttatus.
assassin-bug Reduviidae nocturnal painful-bite western-North-America predatory light-attracted two-spotted-corsair
Repipta
Repipta is a genus of assassin bugs (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) established by Stål in 1859. The genus contains at least 25 species, with the majority distributed in the Neotropics and some extending into the Nearctic region. Species in this genus are predatory, with documented life cycles showing five nymphal instars and total development from egg to adult of approximately 2-3 months under laboratory conditions. Two species, R. flavicans and R. taurus, have been studied in detail regarding their immature stages and developmental biology.
assassin-bug predatory Neotropical Harpactorinae
Repipta taurus
Red Bull Assassin, red bull assassin bug
Repipta taurus is an assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as the red bull assassin. It is a predatory species with five nymphal instars and a total nymphal development period of approximately 60 days under laboratory conditions. The species is distributed across Central America and North America, with eggs deposited in soil.
assassin-bug predatory soil-dwelling-eggs Hemiptera Reduviidae Harpactorinae
Rhagio lineola
Small Fleck-winged Snipefly
Rhagio lineola is a small snipefly in the family Rhagionidae, native to the Palearctic region and introduced to eastern North America. Adults are 5.5–8 mm in length with distinctive yellow and black coloration. The species has a two-year life cycle with adults active from late May through September. Both adults and larvae are predatory, contributing to biological control of small insects in woodland ecosystems.
snipefly predatory woodland Palearctic introduced-species genome-sequenced
Rhiginia
Rhiginia is a genus of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) established by Stål in 1859. The genus is placed in the subfamily Ectrichodiinae, a group of reduviids commonly known as millipede assassin bugs due to their specialized predation on millipedes. Species of Rhiginia are generally active, alert, and strong fliers. The genus is restricted to the New World, with species documented from the Americas.
assassin-bug millipede-assassin-bug New-World predatory
Rhiginia cinctiventris
millipede assassin
Rhiginia cinctiventris is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, specifically classified within the millipede assassin subfamily Ectrichodiinae. The species is distributed across Central America and North America. As a member of the Ectrichodiinae, it belongs to a specialized group of predatory true bugs known for preying on millipedes.
assassin-bug millipede-assassin predatory true-bug Reduviidae Ectrichodiinae Hemiptera Central-America North-America Stål-1872
Rhodacaroidea
Rhodacaroidea is a superfamily of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata, comprising six families and over 900 described species worldwide. These mites are predominantly soil-dwelling, with highest abundance and diversity in soil and litter habitats. They have received attention as potential biological control agents due to their predatory habits. The group is among the more studied mesostigmatid superfamilies, though detailed biological and ecological knowledge remains limited for many species.
mites Mesostigmata predatory soil-dwelling biological-control Gamasina
Rocconota
Rocconota is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae. The genus was established by Stål in 1859 and contains approximately ten described species, primarily distributed in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are predatory true bugs, consistent with the biology of the Reduviidae family. The genus name is derived from Greek roots referring to its distinctive tuberculate or spiny morphology.
Reduviidae Harpactorinae assassin-bugs Neotropical predatory
Rocconota annulicornis
Ring-horned Assassin Bug
Rocconota annulicornis, commonly known as the Ring-horned Assassin Bug, is a species of predatory true bug in the family Reduviidae. It is distributed across North and Central America. The species belongs to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of assassin bugs characterized by raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. The specific epithet 'annulicornis' refers to ringed or banded antennae, a distinctive feature of this species.
Reduviidae Harpactorinae assassin-bug predatory ringed-antennae
Saica elkinsi
Saica elkinsi is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Blinn in 1994. It is native to North America and belongs to the subfamily Saicinae, a group characterized by raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. Members of the genus Saica are slender, long-legged predators found in tropical and subtropical habitats.
assassin-bug Reduviidae Saicinae predatory raptorial-forelegs tropical Belize North-America
Saldinae
Saldinae is a subfamily of shore bugs (family Saldidae) within the true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Members are small, predatory insects associated with moist shoreline habitats. The subfamily contains multiple genera distributed across temperate and tropical regions worldwide.
shore-bugs riparian predatory Hemiptera Heteroptera moist-habitats
Salpingogaster
Salpingogaster is a genus of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) containing at least 30 described species. At least one species, S. nigra, has been documented as a predator of froghopper nymphs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in pasture ecosystems. The genus belongs to the tribe Syrphini within the subfamily Syrphinae.
predatory biological-control pasture-pest-management Neotropical Syrphini
Saprinus lugens
clown beetle
Saprinus lugens is a small clown beetle in the family Histeridae, measuring 5–8 mm. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), Central America, and North America. It has been introduced to parts of Europe including France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The beetle is predatory and commonly associated with carrion, where it feeds on other small insects.
Histeridae Saprininae carrion-beetle predatory introduced-species
Saprinus pensylvanicus
Pennsylvania Clown Beetle
Saprinus pensylvanicus is a species of clown beetle in the family Histeridae, distributed across eastern North America from New England to Florida. Like other histerid beetles, it is predatory and associated with decomposing organic matter. The species is part of a diverse genus of small, compact beetles known for their shiny appearance and habit of playing dead when disturbed.
histerid clown-beetle decomposer predatory North-America
Scathophagidae
Dung Flies
Scathophagidae is a small family of calyptrate flies within the superfamily Muscoidea, comprising approximately 500 described species in 66 genera. Commonly called 'dung flies,' this name is misleading as only a few species in the genus Scathophaga actually develop in animal dung. The family exhibits diverse larval biology including plant feeding, aquatic predation, and predation on other insect larvae in moist organic substrates. Adults are predatory on small insects and are frequently observed hunting on flowers rather than pollinating. The family is predominantly distributed in the Northern Hemisphere, with exceptional diversity in the Russian Far East and strong representation in Arctic tundra habitats.
predatory calyptrate Northern-Hemisphere biological-control sexual-selection-model-organism diverse-larval-biology
Scathophaginae
dung flies, yellow dung flies
Scathophaginae is a subfamily of predatory flies within the family Scathophagidae, commonly known as dung flies. The subfamily contains at least 30 genera and approximately 130 described species. Adults are frequently associated with dung and decaying organic matter, where they occur in large numbers. The group is notable for being predatory rather than coprophagous, with both adults and larvae feeding on other insects.
predatory dung-associated Holarctic behavioral-ecology-model calyptrate-flies
Scellus
long-legged flies
Scellus is a genus of long-legged flies in the family Dolichopodidae, distributed across the Palearctic and Nearctic regions. Males possess distinctive flag-like abdominal appendages called signa, connected by a U-shaped cingulum, which likely function in courtship signaling. The genus is closely related to Hydatostega, which shares a reduced form of this structure.
Dolichopodidae long-legged-flies cingulum signa courtship-structures moist-habitats predatory Palearctic Nearctic Europe summer-activity
Scleropogon bradleyi
Scleropogon bradleyi is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, a group of predatory dipterans known for their aggressive hunting behavior. The species was originally described as Stenopogon bradleyi by Bromley in 1937 before being transferred to the genus Scleropogon. As with other asilids, it likely preys on other insects, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented. The genus Scleropogon comprises medium to large robber flies found primarily in arid and semi-arid regions of western North America.
Asilidae robber-fly predatory Diptera Scleropogon Bromley-1937 Stenopogon-bradleyi
Scolopendridae
Scolopendrid Centipedes
Scolopendridae is a family of large centipedes in the order Scolopendromorpha. Members are characterized by having 21 pairs of legs in most species, with rare exceptions showing 23, 39, or 43 leg pairs. The family includes notable amphibious species and exhibits considerable diversity in eye morphology, with most species possessing four ocelli per side but some being completely eyeless. Several species show sexual dimorphism in venom composition.
centipedes myriapods predatory venomous amphibious-species nocturnal
Scymnini
Dusky Lady Beetles, dusky ladybugs
Scymnini is a tribe of minute lady beetles (Coccinellidae) commonly known as dusky ladybugs. Adults are typically 1–2 mm long with hemispherically domed, densely hairy bodies. The tribe has been synonymized with Coccidulini under modern classifications. Members are predatory as both adults and larvae, feeding on spider mites, scale insects, whiteflies, and aphids. Many species are economically important as biological control agents of agricultural pests.
Coleoptera Coccinellidae lady-beetles biological-control predatory agricultural-pests
Sinea spinipes
Spiny Assassin Bug
Sinea spinipes is a North American assassin bug in the subfamily Harpactorinae, commonly known as the Spiny Assassin Bug. It is native to the midwestern United States where it inhabits roadsides, forest edges, and open fields with scattered trees. In southern Illinois, populations are univoltine, producing one brood per year. The species is part of a complex of similar Sinea species that can be distinguished by leg morphology.
predatory univoltine edge-habitat midwestern-North-America
Skwala
springflies
Skwala is a genus of springflies (Plecoptera: Perlodidae) established by Ricker in 1943, containing approximately five described species distributed across North America and Asia. Species in this genus are amphibiotic, with aquatic nymphal stages in freshwater streams and terrestrial adults. At least one species, Skwala pusilla, has been documented as predatory. The genus has been subject to cytogenetic study, with Skwala compacta representing the first photographic documentation of stonefly chromosomes.
Plecoptera Perlodidae springflies stoneflies aquatic-insects amphibiotic predatory univoltine montane-streams lotic-ecosystems
Smarididae
Smarididae is a family of large predatory mites in the order Trombidiformes. Members possess elongated oval bodies with a distinctive pointed anterior, dense setation, and often striking red coloration. The family includes exceptionally large species, with the Cretaceous fossil *Immensmaris chewbaccei* representing the largest known erythraeoid mite at over 8 mm in length. These active predators are part of the superfamily Erythraeoidea, characterized by their slender, sometimes elongated legs and reduced eye number (one or two pairs).
mites predatory fossil Cretaceous vegetation-associated
Spaziphora
Spaziphora is a genus of small to medium-sized predatory flies in the family Scathophagidae. The genus contains at least three described species, including the widespread S. hydromyzina. Members are found in northern Europe, with records from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As scathophagid flies, they are associated with dung and decaying organic matter habitats where they hunt as larvae.
predatory dung-associated Scathophagidae northern-Europe wetland genus-level-identification-difficult
Sphaeromiini
biting midges
Sphaeromiini is a tribe of predatory biting midges within the family Ceratopogonidae. The tribe comprises approximately 7 genera and at least 40 described species. Members are characterized as insectivorous, preying on other small insects. The Australian and New Guinea fauna has been subject to recent taxonomic revision, with significant species diversity documented in these regions.
predatory insectivorous biting-midges Ceratopogonidae
Squillidae
Squillid Mantis Shrimps
Squillidae is the sole family in the superfamily Squilloidea, representing the most diverse family of mantis shrimps (Stomatopoda) in terms of genus-level diversity. Members are marine crustaceans characterized by raptorial appendages used for capturing prey. The type genus Squilla gives the family its name. This family encompasses numerous genera distributed primarily in shallow to moderately deep marine waters.
marine benthic predatory crustacean
Stenolemus spiniventris
Stenolemus spiniventris is a thread-legged bug in the assassin bug family Reduviidae, first described by Signoret in 1858. It belongs to the subfamily Emesinae, characterized by extremely slender, elongate legs and body form. The species occurs in Central America and North America, though detailed natural history information remains limited in published sources.
Reduviidae Emesinae thread-legged-bug assassin-bug predatory
Stenopodainae
Stenopodainae is a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) containing approximately 113 genera and ~770 species worldwide. Members are predominantly tropical, with many species associated with soil or sand substrates. The subfamily is characterized by distinctive morphological features including prominent mandibular plates and a modified antennal structure. Many species exhibit wing reduction (aptery) and cryptic coloration. Some species have been observed to use plant-derived resin on their forelegs to aid in prey capture.
assassin-bug Reduviidae predatory cryptic-coloration aptery resin-use tropical soil-dwelling
Stichopogon argenteus
Silvery Pirate
Stichopogon argenteus is a species of robber fly in the family Asilidae, commonly known as the Silvery Pirate. Like other members of its genus, it is a predatory fly associated with sandy or barren habitats. The species was originally described by Thomas Say in 1823 as Dasypogon argenteus before being transferred to Stichopogon.
asilidae robber-fly predatory sandy-habitat