Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae: Heteroptera) from Chhattisgarh, India

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Language: English

The members of the buf family Reduviidae are commonly known as "Assassin bugs". Most of the species of Reduviidae are nocturnal and believed to be generalist predators on insects and other arthropods and received little attention as biocontrol agents. Their large size and aggressive nature enable them to predate and eat many insects. Many assassin bugs can inflict a painful bite, so they should be carefully handled. With more than 6,878 described species and subspecies under 981 genera belonging to 25 subfamilies of the family Reduviidae recorded from the world, reduviids are one of the largest and morphologically most diverse group of Heteroptera or true bugs. Some 465 species under 144 genera belonging to 14 subfamilies have been recorded from India. During 1995-2014, several authors have recorded 37 species under 23 genera belonging to 7 subfamilies viz. Tribelocephalinae, Harpactorinae, Stenopodainae, Ectrichodiinae, Peiratinae, Salyavatinae and Reduviinae of the family Reduviidae from the state of Chhattisgarh.

The present study is based on recent collections made by different survey parties of the CAMPA Project which has added several new localities and further recorded 20 species under 15 genera belonging to 5 subfamilies viz. Harpactorinae, Reduviinae, Stenopodainae, Peiratinae and Ectrichodiinae of the family Reduviidae for the first time from Chhattisgarh (India). From these, the genera Scipinia Stal, Endochus Burmiester of Harpactorinae, Bardesanes Distant, Caunus Stal of Stenopodainae, Labidocoris Mayr of Ectrichodiinae, Androclus Stal of Peiratinae and Empyrocoris Miller of Reduviinae are recorded for the first time from Chhattisgarh.

Altogether Chhattisgarh is represented by a total of 57 species under 30 genera belonging to 7 subfamilies of the family Reduviidae. The classification of the family has been mainly adopted after Ambrose (2006). The present study also includes material examined, diagnostic characters, synonymies, distribution in India and elsewhere, and illustrations and keys to the subfamilies, genera and species where necessary.

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