Domain Eukaryota Class Insecta Infraorder Cimicomorpha Phylum Arthropoda Order True bugs | Kingdom Animalia Suborder Heteroptera Superfamily Reduvioidea Rank Genus | |
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Similar True bugs, Glymmatophora, Emesopsis, Emesaya, Saicinae | ||
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Lopodytes is a genus in the family Reduviidae, the assassin bugs. Unofficially, members of the genus have been assigned the common name Grass Assassin bugs, but this name is meaningful mainly to naturalists, because these insects are too obscure and too well camouflaged for many other people to be much aware of them.
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Description
Lopodytes species are small-to-medium-sized bugs, measuring between 10 and 20 mm in length. They are however very gracile and elongate in build, with nearly parallel sides, so they are far less massive than most insects of a similar bodily length. Usually they occur in savanna grass and similar vegetation, but on a level surface they generally adopt a very horizontal posture that emphasizes their resemblance to the thread assassins, the Emesinae. They easily may be confused with the Emesinae, but they are somewhat less gracile, typically 50% to 100% larger in linear measurement, and unlike the Emesinae, they do not have raptorial front legs.
In color Lopodytes species generally are a range of dusty greyish yellows to browns, shades that combine with their shape to make them inconspicuous in the partly dried tussock grasses that they normally inhabit. They probably are noticed far less often in the field than when they come to lights at night in certain seasons.
Etymology
The name Lopodytes could well be a source of confusion. It might refer to the Ancient Greek root λοπος, meaning bark or covering, plus δυτης, a diver, suggesting a creature that hides under coverings, but it might more likely derive from λοποδυτατ, an old word for a robber that stripped the clothing off victims.
Furthermore, there is a genus of ducks, Lophodytes which is sufficiently similar in spelling to cause either confusion in reference or errors in typing.
Biology
The biology of Lopodytes species has not been much studied. They appear to be predators of small insects, typical of Reduviid specialised for life in tussock grasses in savanna-like areas. As a rule both sexes are winged, but wingless forms occur. They have been reported to come to lights, but only occasionally. In those species for which observations have been recorded, the eggs are very elongate and are laid on grass stems either singly or in small clusters.
Taxonomy and distribution
The genus Lopodytes is in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera, family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae. Some sources give the genus authority as Rondani, 1867, but others credit Stål, 1853, Ofv. Vet.-Ak. Fork. 10, p. 263.
The genus is native to the savanna and near-savanna regions of Africa, mainly south of the Sahara.
At least the following species have been described from regions indicated when the information is available.