Raptorial-legs
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.
Bittacus
hangingfly, hanging fly
Bittacus is a genus of hangingflies (Mecoptera: Bittacidae) characterized by their distinctive habit of hanging from vegetation using their modified forelegs. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution and has existed since at least the Late Cretaceous. Bittacus is currently considered grossly paraphyletic, serving as a catch-all taxon for many distantly related hangingfly species. Members are predatory insects with specialized raptorial mid- and hindlegs used for capturing arthropod prey.
Hemerodromiini
Hemerodromiini is a tribe of dance flies (family Empididae) within the subfamily Empidinae. Members of this tribe are small to medium-sized predatory flies characterized by their distinctive leg structure and behavior. The tribe is distinguished from related groups by morphological adaptations associated with their characteristic hunting strategy. Hemerodromiini species are found across various habitats, particularly in association with running water and moist environments.
Marpissa sulcosa
Pike Slender Jumper
Marpissa sulcosa, commonly known as the Pike Slender Jumper, is a small jumping spider in the family Salticidae. It is notable for its extremely elongated body and disproportionately long first pair of legs, which are used primarily for prey capture rather than locomotion. The species inhabits grassland environments and employs camouflage and ambush tactics to hunt. It ranges across much of North America, with records from the eastern United States through the Great Plains and into the Southwest.
Ochthera anatolikos
Ochthera anatolikos is a small predatory shore fly in the family Ephydridae. Adults and larvae are both predatory, with raptorial forelegs adapted for seizing prey. The species occurs in shallow aquatic habitats across North America, where it feeds on small insects and their larvae. It was described by Clausen in 1977.
Oodera
Oodera is the sole genus in the monotypic family Ooderidae, a group of chalcidoid wasps elevated to family rank in 2022. Species range from 3.6 to 17 mm and are distinguished by raptorial forelegs and a mantis-like habitus. Almost all species are parasitoids of xylophagous beetle larvae in families Buprestidae and Curculionidae. The genus occurs in warm regions of the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Indomalayan realms, with one introduced species in the Nearctic.
Phymata
jagged ambush bugs
Phymata is a genus of ambush bugs in the family Reduviidae, commonly known as jagged ambush bugs. These insects are characterized by their distinctive jagged, sculptured body form that provides camouflage on vegetation. They are sit-and-wait predators that capture prey on flowers, with raptorial front legs adapted for seizing insects. The genus occurs in the Americas and Palaearctic realm, with multiple species documented in North America including P. americana and P. pennsylvanica, which hybridize where their ranges overlap.
Phymata borica
Ambush bug
Phymata borica is a species of ambush bug in the family Reduviidae, described by Evans in 1931. Like other members of the genus Phymata, it is a predatory insect that hunts by waiting motionless on flowers to capture visiting pollinators. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its range and ecology remain limited in available sources.
Phymata metcalfi
jagged ambush bug
Phymata metcalfi is a species of jagged ambush bug in the family Reduviidae. As with other members of the genus Phymata, it is a predatory insect that hunts on flowers, using its raptorial front legs to seize prey. The species is part of a group of ambush bugs known for their distinctive flattened, angular body shape and effective camouflage among blossoms. Like congeners, it likely exploits the high insect traffic on composite flowers such as goldenrods and sunflowers.
Saica
Saica is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Saicinae. These predatory insects inhabit tropical rainforest environments, particularly in the Neotropics. They are characterized by slender bodies, long legs, and distinctive raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. Some species display bright coloration, including brilliant red patterns. The genus is distinguished by a uniquely hooked proboscis tip, an adaptation for subduing prey.