The goal of this project is to collect data on ambush bug distribution and ecology. Ambush bugs (Reduviidae: Phymatinae) are cryptic sit-and-wait predators of flower-visiting insects such as pollinators. This group of insects comprises more than 100 species across North and South America, and a few species in Europe. Several are commonly encountered throughout the United States, but others ...more ↓
The goal of this project is to collect data on ambush bug distribution and ecology. Ambush bugs (Reduviidae: Phymatinae) are cryptic sit-and-wait predators of flower-visiting insects such as pollinators. This group of insects comprises more than 100 species across North and South America, and a few species in Europe. Several are commonly encountered throughout the United States, but others are rare. For both common and rare species, photographic documentation of flower hosts and prey insects are scarce. Generating such observations will help investigate questions including if ambush bugs are exclusively found on matching background flowers, where exactly on the flowers they hunt, and which groups of pollinators they attack.
Find out more about ambush bugs and other Reduviidae: http://heteroptera.ucr.edu/
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