Ricolla cf. quadrispinosa - Ricolla Assassin Bug (Linnaeus, 1767)

Red Warning

Description: Ricolla is a genus of assassin bugs in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heterocera, infraorder Cimicomorpha, superfamily Reduvioidea, family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae and tribe Harpactorini.

The head is slender with a rostrum adapted for predation underneath, which is used to pierce inside the prey and suck in its bodily fluids. Two medium-sized eyes, which are good for predating, are present after the postocular region. Two spikes are located on the lateral area close to the eyes; one for each. Almost all of the bug's body is red. The thorax, complex, with a red transverse sulcus of the pronotum, possesses four evident spikes; one on each of the humeral angles (2); one on each dorsomedial area (2) proximal to the wings. Legs are made of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia, tarsus and pretarsus. The area from the tibia until the tarsus of the forelegs is seemingly darker in color and the pretarsus lighter, while the area from the femur until the coxa is red. Femura of the other legs are black with a red junction between it and the tibiae, proceeding to turn to black again until the claws, which might be clearer (or not). Antennae long, curved, slender and located on the anteocular region, possessing a scape, pedicel and flagellomeres, sequenced one after the other. Entire body is slender, with many protruding spikes from the connexivum which are probably for protection (and seemingly very efficient), and a signal of warning against predation. A red scutellum is present. The wings are made of a clear, veiny corium (4 veins in total with the first and second proximal to the medial area of the body with straying veins), and a red, membranous area with an unknown (to me) amount of cells. I could note no ocelli but these might be present posterior to the eyes. Maxillary plate and clypeus present. Length of approximately 16mm.

The rostrum is used to deliever a piercing, deadly blow to the prey; lethal saliva is injected and this liquefies the prey from inside. The bug then proceeds to suck the fluids off of the prey, leaving a husk behind.

The saliva's lethality comes from enzymes that digest the tissues of the unfortunate prey through extraoral digestion. They can kill Arthropods significantly larger than themselves, but they are unable to kill larger animals, as far as my knowledge goes. The piercing strike hurts, but the Ricolla are 100% harmless to human and pet health and do not transmit diseases.

They live in gardens in suburban habitats (possibly urban habitats as well), weedy areas and mostly low, attractive plants. They walk slowly towards their prey to not warn them, proceeding to pierce them with the rostrum unexpectedly. They will feed on most insects under their distribution range. The attraction for attractive plants comes from the instinct that tells them that pollinators might come. Their legs are covered in hairs that aid on grabbing prey to prevent them from fleeing.

Specimen found in a weedy forested area in Brazil, Santa Catarina, Benedito Novo.

Sources:

cjai.biologicalsurvey.ca/wetal_26/wetal_26_3.HTM
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduviidae
eol.org/pages/12036397/overview
www.flickr.com/photos/31065892@N07/26778287714
www.ecoregistros.org/sheet/Ricolla-quadrispinosa
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5240520/

PROJECT NOAH (Português): www.projectnoah.org/spottings/171161778

Taken in: Brasil / Santa Catarina / Rio dos Cedros (show map)

Taken on: March 4, 2017

Tags:

Animalia

Arthropoda

Hemiptera

Heteroptera

Cimicomorpha

Reduvioidea

Reduviidae

Harpactorinae

Harpactorini

Ricolla

sp.

Ricolla sp

Ricolla quadrispinosa

red

bug

bugs

red reduviidae

reduviidae vermelho

percevejo-assassino

percevejo

percevejos

assassin bug

Brasil

Brazil

Santa Catarina

Benedito Novo

neotropicla

South America

América do Sul

animal

animals

animais

fauna

nature

natureza

naturaleza

naturalism

naturalismo

photonaturalism

fotonaturalismo

insect

insects

inseto

insetos

arthropod

arthropods

artrópode

artrópodes

Oscar Neto

A Sprinkle of Earth

Spirit of Photography

micro

wild

wildlife

selvagem

vida selvagem

predator

predador

black

spikes

preto

espinhos

spiked reduviidae

reduviidae com espinhos

green

verde

NIKON

NIKKOR

HDR

true bug

orange

yellow

laranja « less

Sets appears in: • Cimicomorpha • Reduvioidea more » • Heteroptera • Hemiptera - True Bugs • Harpactorini • Harpactorinae • Reduviidae • Class: Insecta « less

Groups appears in: • Brasil • Bichos more » • Bugs • !FlickrSoup for Soul • INSECTS • Flora and Fauna • Flying Insects • Insect Macro Photography • Insect Close-Ups • Flickr BRASIL • All things beautiful in Nature (no humans or man made objects) • Macro Bugs • *Animal Photography* • DEFENDER'S {Detailed nature} macro and close up. • Insects Macro World - Feel free to join us! • PHOTO NOW • Nature...Anything Goes • Beautiful Mother Nature • ♥ANIMALS ♥ • Beautiful Bugs • *Nature Pics* • ALL ABOUT INSECTS & SPIDERS • ***SCREAM OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER*** • insetos, aracnideos e antropodes • " INSECTS and SPIDERS of PLANET EARTH • ***Flickr Global • Insects of the World • ***BUTTERFLIES & INSECTS *** • Insect Macro • Insects, Bugs, and Butterflies • Entomology, Arachnology and Environment • Nature's Gallery - No 30/60 Limit • Insetos do Brasil • Macro & Close up Photography • Macro in nature • Nature Fine Pictures Gallery • Nature and all that is beautiful • Insects, Spiders, Frogs, Snails and Slugs • Worldwide Fauna • Nature and Animals (Wild Only) • * THANK YOU FOR SHARING... (please award favorites) • !* Lovely Mother Earth Ⅱ -Ⓕriends Ⓕine Ⓐrt✾ re-founded • The best photographs from around the world. « less

Camera: samsung SM-J120M, f/2.2, 1/200 sec, 3.3mm, ISO 50 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	samsung SM-J120M
Aperture:	f/2.2
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	3.3mm
ISO:	50
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Fired
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 7.1 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 3,752 views / 3 comments

go back

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: