| Acanthaspis obscura | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Reduviidae |
| Genus: | Acanthaspis |
| Species: | A. obscura |
| Binomial name | |
| Acanthaspis obscura Stål, 1855 | |
Acanthaspis obscura is a species of assassin bug from tropical and subtropical Africa.
This insect grows up to 16 mm (0.63 in) long. It has a dull black body with two white spots on each wing, with a third dull honey-coloured spot at the tip of each wing. Some individuals have shorter wings. [1]
Acanthaspis obscura in occurs in tropical and subtropical Africa, including in Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa. [1] [2] [3] Adults are found living under bark and stones, and in termite mounds. [1]
The nymphs cover themselves in the exoskeletons of their prey and other debris. They may be found in deserted termite mounds along with adults, where they eat ants. [1]
Like other species in this family, Acanthaspis obscura is a predatory species. [1] They may feed on insects much larger than them and have a venomous fluid which paralyses and kills their prey within seconds of being bitten. They are more active at night than during the day and are attracted to light. [4] Shorter winged individuals are found living with the full winged individuals. [1]
This species may enter human homes, especially in rural areas, as they are attrcated to the light. It is known to bite people and is sometimes called the nagby (Afrikaans for night bee) by locals. A study in 1997 recorded at least 13 instances of humans being bitten by Acanthaspis obscura. These bites are visible as a black spot surrounded by a white ring and swelling, often with a nearby cyst filled with a dark thick fluid. [4]
The bite is painful due to the injected fluid, which is ordinarily used to hunt prey, and causes side effects in people. These effects may last for months after the bite occurred. It causes a numb, burning sensation which lasts for several hours and causes the glands in the arms and legs to swell up for up to three days. It may also cause rapid breathing, heart palpitations and rapid breathing as well as welts all over the body. [4]
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, to which they are distantly related. About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Hemiptera is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from 1 mm (0.04 in) to around 15 cm (6 in), and share a common arrangement of piercing-sucking mouthparts. The name "true bugs" is often limited to the suborder Heteroptera.
The Reduviidae is a large cosmopolitan family of the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. Among the Hemiptera and together with the Nabidae almost all species are terrestrial ambush predators; most other predatory Hemiptera are aquatic. The main examples of nonpredatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae. Though spectacular exceptions are known, most members of the family are fairly easily recognizable; they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build, and a formidable curved proboscis. Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.
The lilac-breasted roller is an African bird of the roller family, Coraciidae. It is widely distributed in Southern and Eastern Africa, and is a vagrant to the southern Arabian Peninsula. It prefers open woodland and savanna, and it is for the most part absent from treeless places. Usually found alone or in pairs, it perches at the tops of trees, poles or other high vantage points from where it can spot insects, amphibians and small birds moving about on the ground. Nesting takes place in a natural hole in a tree where a clutch of 2–4 eggs are laid, and incubated by both parents, who are extremely aggressive in defence of their nest, taking on raptors and other birds. During the breeding season the male will rise to a fair height, descending in swoops and dives, while uttering harsh, discordant cries. The sexes do not differ in coloration, and juveniles lack the long tail streamers of adults. This species is unofficially considered the national bird of Kenya. Alternative names for the lilac-breasted roller include the fork-tailed roller, lilac-throated roller and Mosilikatze's roller.
Belostomatidae is a family of freshwater hemipteran insects known as giant water bugs or colloquially as toe-biters, Indian toe-biters, electric-light bugs, alligator ticks, or alligator fleas. They are the largest insects in the order Hemiptera. There are about 170 species found in freshwater habitats worldwide, with more than 110 in the Neotropics, more than 20 in Africa, almost as many in the Nearctic, and far fewer elsewhere. These predators are typically encountered in freshwater ponds, marshes and slow-flowing streams. Most species are at least 2 cm (0.8 in) long, although smaller species, down to 0.9 cm (0.35 in), also exist. The largest are members of the genus Lethocerus, which can exceed 12 cm (4.5 in) and nearly reach the length of some of the largest beetles in the world. Giant water bugs are a popular food in parts of Asia.
Pyrophorus is a genus of click beetle. They are one of several genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, all of which are bioluminescent. Their bioluminescence is similar to that of another group of beetles, the fireflies, although click beetles do not flash, but remain constantly glowing. They have two luminescent spots at the posterior corners of the pronotum, and another brighter light organ on the most-anterior surface of the ventral abdomen. This light organ is even brighter and can only be seen when in flight. Bioluminescent click beetles are found throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate America. Species from Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Cuba are now in different genera in the tribe Pyrophorini, such as Deilelater and Ignelater.
The red-and-yellow barbet is a species of African barbet found in eastern Africa. Males have distinctive black, red, and yellow plumage; females and juveniles are similar, but less brightly colored. The species lives in broken terrain and nests and roosts in burrows. Omnivorous, the species feeds on seeds, fruit, and invertebrates. Where not hunted, they are tame, but their feathers are used by certain tribes, such as the Maasai.
The tropical boubou or bell shrike is a medium-sized passerine bird of sub-Saharan Africa. This very diverse "species" with its numerous subspecies and morphs has since long posed a taxonomic problem, and recent research suggests it is a cryptic species complex that has now been split into several species.
The short-winged cisticola, also known as the siffling cisticola, is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Myrmecophagy is a feeding behavior defined by the consumption of termites or ants, particularly as pertaining to those animal species whose diets are largely or exclusively composed of said insect types. Literally, myrmecophagy means "ant-eating" rather than "termite eating". The two habits often overlap, as both of these eusocial insect types often live in large, densely populated nests requiring similar adaptations in the animal species that exploit them.
Lethocerus is a genus of the hemipteran family Belostomatidae, known colloquially as giant water bugs, toe biters and electric light bugs, distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The greatest diversity of species occurs in the Americas, with only a single species in Europe, two in Africa, two in Australia and three in Asia. It includes the largest true bugs with species capable of reaching a length of over 12 centimetres (4.7 in). The South American L. grandis and L. maximus are the only species to commonly exceed 9 cm (3.5 in), with more typical lengths for the remaining species being between 4.5 and 9 cm. Lethocerus sp. are distinguished from other genera in the Lethocerinae by two symmetrical furrows in the inner pad of setae on the fore femur, the external borders of parasternites II and III narrowed and nearly straight, and with the setae of the tarsomeres following the line of the tibial setae.
Acanthaspis is a genus of assassin bugs. Members of the genus are known to disguise themselves by attaching bits of debris to aid in camouflage.
Acanthaspis petax is a species of assassin bug that preys primarily on ants, but also on a variety of small insects, such as flies, small grasshoppers and beetles. The nymphs of this species create a pile of ant carcasses on their backs for camouflage. The adults do not use camouflage and are coloured with a red and black pattern.
Platymeris biguttatus or two-spotted assassin bug is a venomous predatory true bug of west and southwest African origin ranging in size from 10–40 mm. As a true bug of the order hemiptera, it has needle like mouth parts designed for sucking juices out of plants or other insects instead of chewing. P. biguttatus has sharp stylets in its proboscis or rostrum used to pierce the exoskeleton of its prey. Saliva is then injected into the prey which liquifies its tissues, and the rostrum is then used to suck out the digested fluids. If disturbed, it is capable of a defensive bite considered to be more painful than a bee sting. It is also known to spit venom that can cause temporary blindness in humans.
Platymeris laevicollis is a venomous predatory true bug from central Africa that can be found in forests, scrublands, grasslands, and croplands. They are efficient predators and are used by farmers on coconut plantations to control herbivorous pests such as the rhinoceros beetle. As a true bug of the order Hemiptera, it has needle-like mouth parts designed for sucking juices out of plants or other insects instead of chewing. P. laevicollis has sharp stylets in its proboscis or rostrum used to pierce the exoskeleton of its prey. Saliva is then injected into the prey which liquifies its tissues, and the rostrum is then used to suck out the digested fluids. If disturbed, it is capable of a defensive bite considered to be more painful than a bee sting.
Lethocerus insulanus is a species of giant water bug of the family Belostomatidae. Its common name is the Australian giant water bug, but it is also called the electric light bug or giant fishkiller. These names are also used for various other members of the family, including the other Australian species, L. distinctifemur, which is similar to L. insulanus.
The western corsair is a species of assassin bug and is one of the two species of "two spotted corsairs", the other being Rasahus biguttatus. The adults have an orange and black body and an orange spot on each wing. They feed primarily on other insects and after dark are attracted to bright lights. Unlike most of the other assassin bugs, the bite of the western corsair can be extremely painful.
Usazoros hubbardi, commonly known as Hubbard's angel insect, is a species of insect in the order Zoraptera. It is native to the tropical and subtropical New World and has expanded its range into the eastern United States, where it lives in piles of sawdust, whereas in the hotter part of its range it lives under the bark of decomposing logs. It was named after the American entomologist Henry Guernsey Hubbard, who discovered the insect in the United States.
Coptotermes heimi is a species of termite in the family Rhinotermitidae. It is found in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and lives wholly underground.
Acanthaspis quinquespinosa is a species of assassin bug found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet. It is a predator, and both nymphs and adults feed on termites, beetles, caterpillars and other insect prey.