Abstract
Feeding behavioural studies of many exclusively predatory species exhibit clearcut stimuli-response mediated sequences and these can be categorised into distinct sub-units like: search and location of prey → approach and attack of prey → immobilisation of prey → transportation of prey to safe place → consumption of prey. These feeding behavioural activities differ among reduviids particularly with respect to prey types. These bugs are endowed with many structural, physiological and behavioural adaptations for efficient predation.
The ovipositional behaviour of reduviids in different habitats also shows considerable variation and their reproductive strategies include selection of suitable sites to assure successful emergence and development of young ones and so far very few egg predators and egg parasites have been reported for these terrestrial insects.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Anuzel R 1972 The structure and properties of an abdominal receptor inRhodnius prolixus stal (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);J. Insect Physiol. 18 2143–2153
Baptist B A 1941 The morphology and physiology of the salivary glands of Hemiptera-Heteroptera;Quart. J. Micros. Sci. 83 91–139
Bahadur J 1963 Rectal pads in Heteroptera;Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London A38 59–69
Bequert J 1912 L’instinct maternal chezRhinocoris albopilosis Sign. Hemiptera-Reduviidae;Rev. Zool. Afr. 1 293–296
Bernard J, Pinet J M and Boistel J 1970 Electrophysiologie and des recepteur des stylets maxillaire deTriatoma infestans action de la temperature et de la teneur en eau de i’air;J. Insect Physiol. 16 2157–2180
Bose M 1951 On the biology ofCoranus spiniscutis (Reuter), an assassin bug (Fam. Reduviidae);Indian J. Entomol. 11 203–208
Cachan P 1952 Etude de la predation chez les reduviides de la region ethiopienne 1. La predation en groupe chezEctrichodia gigas H. Sen;Physiol. Comp. Oecol. 2 376–395
Cheriyan M C and Kylasam M S 1939 On the biology and feeding habits ofRhinocoris fucipes (Fab.) (Heteroptera-Reduviidae);J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 61 256–259
Cobben R H 1978 Evolutionary trends in Heteroptera Part II. Mouthpart structures and feeding strategies;Meded. Landbouwhoge sch., Wageningen pp. 407
Edwards J S 1961 Action and composition of the saliva of an assassin bug,Platymeris rhadhamanthus Gerst.;J. Exp. Biol. 38 61–77
Edwards J S 1962 Observations on the development and predatory habits of two reduviid Heteroptera,Rhinocoris carmelita Stal andPlatymeris rhadhamanthus Gertst.;Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London 37 89–98
Edwards J S 1966 Observation on the life history and predatory behaviour ofZelus exsanguis Stal (Hemiptera-reduviidae);Proc. R Entomol. Soc. London A41 21–24
Eisner T, Swithenbank C and Meinhold J 1962 Defense mechanism of arthropods VIII. Secretions of salycycaldehyde by a carabid beetle;Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 56 37–41
Eisner H E, Eisner T and Hurst J J 1963 Hydrogen cyanide and benzaldehyde produced by millipedes;Chem. Ind. 1963 124–125
Friend W G and Smith J J B 1977 Factors effecting feeding by blood sucking insects;Ann. Rev. Entomol. 22 309–321
Gillette J D and Wigglesworth V B 1932 The climbing organ of an insectRhodnius prolixus Stal (Heteroptera-Reduviidae);Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London B3 365–375
Haridass E T 1978Biological and ethological studies on some South Indian reduviids (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Ph.D. thesis, University of Madras, India
Haridass E T and Ananthakrishnan T N 1980a Models for the predatory behaviour of some reduviids from South India (Insecta-Heteroptera-Reduviidae);Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.) 89 387–402
Haridass E T and Ananthakrishnan T N 1980b Functional morphology of theFossula spongiosa in some reduviids (Insecta-Heteroptera-Reduviidae);Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.) 89 457–466
Haridass E T and Ananthakrishnan T N 1981a Functional morphology of the salivary system in some reduviidae (Insecta-Heteroptera);Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.) 90 140–160
Haridass E T and Ananthakrishnan T N 1981b Functional morphology of pylorus and rectal glands in Reduviidae (Insecta-Heteroptera);Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.) 90 483–493
Haridass E T and Ananthakrishnan T N 1981c Bionomics and behaviour of the reduviid bugTriatoma rubrofasciata (De Geer), the vector ofTrypanosoma (Megatrypanum) conorhini (Donovan) In India, (Insecta-Heteroptera);Proc. Indian Nat. Sci. Acad. B46 884–891
Hinton H E 1981Biology of insect eggs (Oxford: Pergamon Press) Vols 1–3 pp. 1125
Kershaw J C W 1909 On the metamorphosis and anatomy of the reduviid bugSycanus croceovittatus Dohrn.;Ann. Soc. Entomol. Belgique 53 241–249
Livingstone D and Ambrose DP 1978a Feeding behaviour and predatory efficiency of some reduviids from the Palghat gap:J. Madras Univ. B41 1–25
Livingstone D and Ambrose D P 1978b Bioecology, ecophysiology and ethology of Reduviidae of the scrub jungles of the Palghat gap Part VII: Bioecology ofAcanthaspis pedestris Stal (Reduviidae-Acanthaspidinae), a micropterous, entomophagous species;J. Madras Univ. B41 97–118
Louis D 1974 Biology of Reduviidae of cocoa farms in Ghana;Am. Midl. Nat. 91 68–89
Maddrell S H P 1963 Control of ingestion inRhodnius prolixus Stal;Nature (London) 198 210
Masner L 1975 Two new sibling species of Gyron Haliday (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae), egg parasites of blood-sucking Reduviidae (Heteroptera);Bull. Entomol. Res. 65 209–213
Miles P W 1972 The saliva of Heteroptera;Adv. Insect Physiol. 9 183–256
Miles P W and Slowiak D 1976 The accessory salivary glands as the source of water in the saliva of Hemiptera-Heteroptera;Experientia 32 1011–1012
Miller N C E 1942 On the structure of the legs in Reduviidae (Rhynchota);Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London A17 49–58
Miller NCE 1953 Notes on the biology of Reduviidae of Southern Rhodesia;Trans. Zool. Soc. London 27 541–656
Miller N C E 1971Th. Biology of Heteroptera (England: E W Classey Ltd) 2nd edn pp. 206
Muller G 1937 Zur Biologis vonRhinocoris iracundus Poda;Entomol. Zool. 58 162–164
Nyiira M 1970 The biology and behaviour ofRhinocoris albopunctatust (Heteroptera-Reduviidae) in Uganda;Ann. ent. Soc. Amer. 63 1224–1227
Odhiambo T R 1958a Some observations on the Natural History ofAcanthaspis petax Stal (Hemiptera-Reduviidae) Living in termite mounds in Uganda;Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London A33 167–175
Odhiambo T R 1958b The camouflaging habits ofAcanthaspis petax Stal (Hemiptera-Reduviidae) in Uganda;Entomol. Month Mag. 94 47
Odhiambo T R 1959 An account of parental care inRhinocoris albospilus Sign. (Heteroptera-Reduviidae) with notes on its life History;Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London A34 175–185
Parker A H 1965 The maternal behaviour ofPisilis tipuliformis Fab. (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Entomol. Exp. Appl. 8 13–19
Parker A H 1969 The predatory and reproductive behaviour ofRhinocoris biocolor andR. tropicus (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Entomol. Exp. Appl. 12 107–117
Parker A H 1971 The predatory and reproductive behaviour ofVestula lineaticeps (sign) (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Bull. Entomol. Res. 61 119–124
Parker A H 1972 The predatory and sexual behaviour ofPhonoctonus fasciatus (P et B) andP. subimpictus Stal (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Bull. Entomol. Res. 62 139–150
Pinet J M 1968 Donnees ultrastructure sur l’innervation sensorille des stylets maxillaires desRhodnius prolixus Stal.;C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 267 634–637
Ralston J S 1977 Egg guarding by male assassin bugs of the genusZelus (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Psyche 84 103–106
Readio A 1926 Studies on the eggs of some reduviids (Heteroptera);Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull. 16 157–179
Roth L M and Eisner T 1962 Chemical defences in arthropods;Ann. Rev. Entomol. 7 107–136
Ryckman R E 1951 Recent observations on the cannibalism in Triatoma (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);J. Parasitol. 37 433–434
Sankaran T and Nagaraja H 1975 Observation on two sibling species ofGyron (Hymenoptera-Scelionidae) Parasitic on Triatominae (Hemiptera) in India;Bull. Entomol. Res. 65 215–219
Southwood T R E 1955 The morphology of the salivary glands of terrestrial Heteroptera (Geocorisae) and its bearing on classification;Tijdschr. Entomol. 98 77–84
Southwood T R E 1956 The structure of the eggs of terrestrial Heteroptera and its relationships to the classification of other groups;Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. London 108 163–221
Swadner S O and Yonke T R 1973a Immature stages and biology ofApiomerus crassipes (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 66 188–196
Swadner S O and Yonke T R 1973b Immature stages and biology ofZelus socius (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Can. Entomol. 105 231–238
Wallace H R 1953 Notes on the biology ofCoranus subapterous De Geer (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Proc. R. Entomol. Soc. London A28 100–110
Wygodzinsky P 1966 A monograph of the Emesinae (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. N. Y. 133 1–613
Zeledon R, Valerio C E and Valerio J E 1973 The camouflage phenomenon in several species ofTriatoma (Hemiptera-Reduviidae);J. Med. Entomol. 10 209–211
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haridass, E.T. Feeding and ovipositional behaviour in some reduviids (Insecta-Heteroptera). Proc Ani Sci 94, 239–247 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186266
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03186266