Wikipedia

Ploiaria

Ploiaria is a cosmopolitan genus of thread-legged bugs (Emesinae). There are presently about 130 described species.[1][2]

Ploiaria
Adult Ploiaria domestica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Family: Reduviidae
Tribe: Leistarchini
Genus: Ploiaria
Scopoli, 1786
Diversity
About 130 species

Description

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Ploiaria can be recognised by the head without ventral spine-like setae, the medially emarginated posterior margin of the prosternum, the posterior pronotal lobe covering only the extreme base of the mesonotum, the scutellum and metanotum lacking spines, the profemora lacking a process with several spine-like setae, and three-segmented protarsi. There is great variation in wing development between different species and within species, with macroptery (developed wings), brachyptery (reduced wings) and aptery (winglessness) all occurring in the genus.[3]

Habitat

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These bugs live in various habitats ranging from tropical forests to deserts and even oceanic islands (presumably reached by rafting on tree trunks). Their microhabitat range includes trees, epiphytes, leaf litter, under bark and under stones. The species P. chilensis and P. domestica are synanthropes, meaning they are associated with human habitats.[4]

Diet

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Ploiaria, like other emesines, are predators. They have been recorded feeding on prey such as Phlebotomus flies, mosquitoes and planthoppers.[5]

Selected species

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This list contains all species of Ploiaria currently considered valid, except for a few that have been described very recently:

References

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  1. ^ Redei. "New and little-known thread-legged assassin bugs from Australia and New Guinea (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae)" (PDF). Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 53 (4), pp. 363–379, 2007.
  2. ^ Redei. "A new species of Ploiaria from Peninsular Malayasia" (PDF). The Raffes Bulletin of Zoology 2008 56(1): 11-15.
  3. ^ Ishikawa, T.; Susila, W.; Okajima, S. (2008). "Two new species of the emesine assassin bug genus Ploiaria (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Indonesia". Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae. 48 (2): 345–359.
  4. ^ Hadjiconstantis, Michael; Davranoglou, Leonidas-Romanos (2018-06-28). "Confirmed Occurrence Of Ploiaria Domestica (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Emesinae) In Cyprus". doi:10.5281/ZENODO.1299614. ISSN 2224-6304. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Wygodzinsky, P. W. (1966). A monograph of the Emesinae (Reduviidae, Hemiptera). hdl:2246/1675. OCLC 1270409216.
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