Resin gathering in neotropical resin bugs (Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae): Functional and comparative morphology

Abstract

Apiomerini (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) collect plant resins with their forelegs and use these sticky substances for prey capture or maternal care. These behaviors have not been described in detail and morphological structures involved in resin gathering, transfer, and storage remain virtually undocumented. We here describe these behaviors in Apiomerus flaviventris and document the involved structures. To place them in a comparative context, we describe and document leg and abdominal structures in 14 additional species of Apiomerini that represent all but one of the 12 recent genera in the tribe. Based on these morphological data in combination with the behavioral observations on A. flaviventris, we infer behavioral and functional hypotheses for the remaining genera within the tribe Apiomerini. Setal abdominal patches for resin storage are associated with maternal care so far only documented for species of Apiomerus. Based on the occurrence of these patches in several other genera, we propose that maternal care is widespread within the tribe. Ventral abdominal glands are widespread within female Apiomerini. We propose that their products may prevent hardening of stored resins thus providing long-term supply for egg coating. Judging from the diverse setal types and arrangements on the front legs, we predict six different behavioral patterns of resin gathering within the tribe.

Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae Excluding Triatominae)

“…In addition, all Apiomerini except Micrauchenus Amyot & Serville have a sulcus on the apex of the fore tibia to receive the tarsus. The fore tibiae is densely pubescent, a feature shared with Harpactorinae tribes Diaspidiini and Ectinoderini from Old World (Forero 2004 ;Forero et al 2011 ).…”

“…There are 12 extant genera in Apiomerini Bérenger 2006 ;Forero et al 2011 ). With the exception of Apiomerus Hahn, which has several Nearctic species, Apiomerini (Fig.…”

“…Apiomerus species collect plant resins with their forelegs that may facilitate prey capture in immature and adults. In females, this resin is particularly important during oviposition (Eisner 1988 ;Choe and Rust 2007 ;Forero et al 2011 ): stored on the ventral surface of the abdomen that in females of Apiomerus features distinct setose patches, the resin coating is transferred to the egg mass after oviposition using specialized leg structures, the metatibial combs; fi rst instar immatures then use this resin from the egg mass to sticky-coat their own fore tibia, greatly facilitating prey capture (Eisner 1988 ;Forero et al 2011 ). Other Apiomerini species are believed to gather resins as well, but direct observations for taxa other than Manicocoris and Beharus Amyot & Serville (Uyttenboogaart 1901 ) are lacking.…”

Epidermis Associated with Wax Secretion in theHarpactor angulosus(Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

“…Species of Apiomerini (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae), a tribe to H. angulosus belongs, collect plant resins with their hind legs and use them to capture prey, attach their eggs to a substrate, and for protection from predators and parasitoids (Forero et al 2011). In addition, several species of Reduviidae are known to collect and attach prey residues and a range of particles found in the environment to their bodies assisted by specialized hairs and sticking substances (Weirauch 2006a).…”

First record of the assassin bug genus Coilopus Elkins, 1969 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Colombia

“…Of the 25 subfamilies recognized (Villiers 1963;Davis 1969;Putshkov and Putshkov 1985;Hwang and Weirauch 2012), Harpactorinae is the largest and most diverse, with more than 2,000 described species (Putshkov and Putshkov 1988;Maldonado 1990;Zhang and Weirauch 2014). In the Neotropical region two tribes are recognized (Schuh and Slater 1995), Apiomerini with 12 extant genera (Forero et al 2011), and Harpactorini with 52 native genera (Bérenger 2003(Bérenger , 2007Forero et al 2008;McPherson and Ahmad 2011;Forero 2012), and one introduced, Amphibolus Klug, 1830(Forero et al 2004.…”