サシガメ科カメムシ類の概説 : その多様性と日本のファウナ
スポンサーリンク
概要
- 論文の詳細を見る
The family Reduviidae, or assassin bugs, is highly diverse in its number of taxa, morphology, habitat, and feeding behavior. It is the second largest family in terms of the number of species, in the suborder Heteroptera, or true bugs, with about 6,800 species classified into at least 23 subfamilies. The diversity in morphology is explained here using examples of four subfamilies, viz., the Harpactorinae having a general form, the Emesinae characterized by a strikingly slender body and appendages, the Holoptilinae with the body and appendages densely covered with very long setae, and the Phymatinae having forelegs strongly specialized for capturing prey. Reduviids are found on the living leaves of trees, on tree trunks, under the bark of rotten trees, on dead branches with leaves, in grasslands, including marshes, among leaf-litter of forest floors, and so on. Among the subfamilies in the Reduviidae, the Centrocnemidinae exclusively live on the tree trunks and their body surface strongly resembles a trunk in color and structure; the Emesinae contains unique inhabitants of lava tubes and spider webs. All reduviids are predatory and food items range from small arthropods, such as insects, to mammal blood, including that of humans. Different subfamilies or tribes have developed distinctive feeding methods and behavior. For example, the Harpactorinae pin their prey using the anteriorly extended rostrum, and the Emesinae catch their prey by the quick movement of their raptorial forelegs. The history of taxonomic and faunal studies on the Japanese Reduviidae is briefly documented. Eighty-two species in 45 genera (nine subfamilies) are currently recognized in Japan. Finally, approximately 120 species are estimated to occur in the country.
- 2005-08-20