osedax mucofloris is a species of bathypelagic polychaetes that is reported to sustain itself on the bones of dead whales .

translated from the mixed greek and latin used in scientific names , " osedax mucofloris " literally means " snot-flower bone-eater " , though the less-accurate " bone-eating snot-flower worm " seems to be the form actually used .

the species is found in north east atlantic where it is abundant .

osedax mucofloris

olingo added text to
bone - eating snot - flower worm ( osedax mucofloris )
on
osedax mucofloris glover , kallstrom , smith and dahlgren , 2005
.
osedax mucofloris extends out of the whale bone into the seawater . the major features of this portion are :
high symbiont diversity in the bone - eating worm osedax mucofloris from shallow whale - falls in the north atlantic .
based on available data ( which are clearly very limited ) , osedax mucofloris is associated with shallower depths than other known osedax species , having been collected at 30 and 125 meters .
a detailed description of the morphology of osedax mucofloris has been published in the scientific journal proceedings of the royal society of london .
high symbiont diversity in the bone - eating worm osedax mucofloris from shallow whale - falls in the north atlantic . - pubmed - ncbi
molecular analysis of osedax mucofloris using coi and 18s rrna sequences confirmed genetic seperation from morphologically similar o . rubiplumus and o . frankpressi ( glover et al . , 2005 ) .
many osedax species have numerous pinnules on their palps that give the crown a feathery appearance . of the known osedax species , only o . mucofloris and o . frankpressi have pinnules oriented all inward ( the pinnules in the other species being turned outward , both inward and outward , or absent ) . most known osedax species have red palps ( the palps of o . frankpressi are red with two white lateral stripes in living worms ) , but the palps of osedax mucofloris are white to pink . ( rouse et al . 2004 ; vrijenhoek et al . 2009 )
osedax worms are marine annelids closely related to deep sea vent / seep - associated . . .
citation : huusgaard rs , vismann b , kühl m , macnaugton m , colmander v , rouse gw , et al . ( 2012 ) the potent respiratory system of osedax mucofloris ( siboglinidae , annelida ) - a prerequisite for the origin of bone - eating osedax ? plos one 7 ( 4 ) : e35975 . urltoken
schander , c . , rapp , h . t . , & dahlgren , t . ( 2010 ) . osedax mucofloris ( polychaeta , siboglinidae ) , a bone - eating marine worm new to norway . fauna norvegica , 30 , 5 - 8 . urltoken
detailed examination of at least 50 mature specimens indicated an absence of the dwarfed males reported for northeast pacific osedax species . however , o . mucofloris appeared able to reproduce and grow to maturity within one month on defaunated bones placed into aquaria . ( glover et al . 2005 )
the bone - eating siboglinid polychaete osedax mucofloris glover , källström , smith & dahlgren , 2005 is reported from norwegian waters for the first time . dense growth was found on bovine bones deposited at 118 meters depth off western norway . dwarf males were observed for the first time . the two specimens sequenced were identical to haplotypes previously found at a swedish whale fall . the possibility of finding additional species of osedax is discussed .
as with the trunk of o . mucofloris , the anterior vestimentum of vestimentifera lacks branching vessels between the ventral and the muscularized dorsal vessel [ 33 ] . the resemblance between the blood vascular systems adds new evidence to the hypothesis that the trunk of osedax and the vestimentum of vestimentifera are homologous regions [ 21 ] .
the measured o 2 depleted bone environment as well as ferrous sulphide precipitations ( figure 8e ) supports the suggested exposure of osedax to sulphide . furthermore the large root surface in the related lamellibrachia is highly efficient in hydrogen sulphide uptake [ 17 ] . since the main trophic source of osedax compared to other siboglinids ( including lamellibrachia ) seems to be heterotrophic bacteria rather than sulphide - detoxifying chemoautotrophic bacteria [ 8 ] , osedax may instead possess physiological adaptations to detoxify sulphide .
in the present study we investigated whether osedax mucofloris is exposed to an inhospitable hypoxic or anoxic microenvironment by measuring the o 2 distribution surrounding the embedded root system . we assessed possible morphological and / or physiological adaptations to the environmental conditions through detailed morphological studies of the respiratory surfaces and the blood vascular system as well as respiratory measurements of o 2 consumption . the results are discussed in relation to the unique environment , endosymbionts , and embedded root structure of osedax as well as compared with studies of related annelids .
it is important to understand osedax mucofloris reproduction , as scientists want to know how these animals are able to disperse between isolated whale - fall habitats . when the first species of osedax was described , it was noted that the species seemed to exhibit very strong sexual dimorphism . the males did not develop into mature adults . instead , they appeared to remain as larval - sized individuals attached to the side of females , fertilising eggs as they were released into the water column . dwarf males have been described for :
osedax mucifloris appeared to be able to reproduce and grow to maturity within one month on defaunated bones placed in a aquaria ( glover et al . , 2005 ) .
to date , osedax mucofloris has only been recorded from 2 whale carcasses in the swedish fjord kosterfjord ( 58° 53 . 1 n , 11° 06 . 4 e ) . it may be widespread in the atlantic , however . the problem is finding whale remains on the sea floor - even if there are a lot of them , they are small relative to the vast expanses of the ocean .
our data show that o . mucofloris inhabiting bone in cuvettes ( purple and yellow dots , figure 9 ) have a lower mo 2 than o . mucofloris inhabiting sectioned cow bone ( green , blue , red dots , figure 9 ) . along with high standard deviations , this highlights the difficulties of measuring o 2 consumption on these embedded worms . the variations are most likely caused by the difference in blind respiration measurements and the large biological activity present on decaying bone , which was difficult to quantify . future studies should thus be carried out to more precisely determine the mo 2 of o . mucofloris and the contribution of other o 2 - consuming surfaces .
the circular trunk musculature in o . mucofloris is weakly developed , as found in several other annelids [ 26 ] , [ 27 ] . the diagonal musculature revealed in the present study , may compensate for the weak circular musculature by having a similar supportive function . diagonal musculature has most likely been mistaken for circular musculature in several annelids [ 26 ] , [ 27 ] , including previous studies of osedax [ 15 ] , [ 21 ] .
beggiatoa live in the restricted interface between hydrogen sulphide presence and oxygenated water [ 51 ] . o . mucofloris must therefore be in contact with toxic sulphide concentrations . photographer : helena wiklund , department of zoology , göteborg university , sweden .
the shallow water species osedax mucofloris glover , källström , smith , dahlgren , 2005 , has been found at 30 m and 125 m water depth off the coast of tjärnö , sweden [ 12 ] , [ 13 ] , and at 120 m depth in bjørnafjord , norway [ 24 ] . currently these are the only records of osedax from the atlantic , though other species are found in shallow waters in both the east and west pacific [ 4 ] , [ 25 ] . the 125 m deep locality near tjärnö is characterized by stable oceanic salinity ( 34–35‰ ) , temperature ( 5–7°c ) and dissolved o 2 concentration ranging from 4 . 6 to 6 . 3 ml o 2 l −1 [ 13 ] .
previous studies of other close relatives of osedax such as vestimentifera and sabellidae have shown anterior branchial structures to be of vital importance when tube - bound tissue is not ventilated [ 29 ] – [ 31 ] . likewise , the anterior branchial structures of o . mucofloris seem morphologically adapted to facilitate efficient o 2 uptake form the surrounding water . as with the branchial plume of vestimentifera [ 31 ] , [ 32 ] , the anterior palps and pinnules of o . mucofloris have a large surface area to volume ratio and short diffusion distances . furthermore , o 2 uptake is optimized by the two ventilating ciliary bands on each palp , a feature also seen in other siboglinidae and in sabellida in general [ 20 ] , [ 31 ] , [ 33 ] .
o . mucofloris has only recently been discovered and it is not yet known if it is under threat . one possibility is that intensive whaling over the last 300 years has reduced the available habitat for this polychaete worm , a previously unknown consequence of the whaling industry .
the quantity and complexity of capillaries in the root structure of o . mucofloris reflects the high o 2 demand of osedax , presumably for the metabolism of its heterotrophic endosymbionts and production and development of eggs . similar capillaries are visible on the exposed ovisac of o . frankpressi ( figure 2f in [ 1 ] ) and o . roseus ( figure 4e in [ 21 ] ) , while the present study shows the presence of capillaries supplying the more distally placed root tissue and bacteriocytes . however , the extent of capillaries does not match the extensive capillary network of the trophosome in other siboglinidae [ 20 ] , [ 33 ] . this is in accordance with the original description [ 1 ] mentioning the lack of a discrete trophosome , the osedax trophosome instead being diffuse and beneath the epidermis of the embedded tissue .
when corrected for background respiration , the measured o 2 consumption ( mo 2 ) of o . mucofloris ranged almost across a factor of ten from 220±93 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 to 2053±1950 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 ( table 1 ) , depending on the approach used for measurement . mo 2 measured on o . mucofloris inhabiting sectioned bone pieces ( b1–b3 ) vs . mo 2 measured o . mucofloris inhabiting bones in cuvettes ( c1 , c2 ) , resulted in two distinctly different ranges of mo 2 . the mo 2 of c1 and c2 was 220±93 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 and 238±29 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 , respectively , while the mo 2 of b1–b3 range from 976±201 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 to 2053±1950 µg o 2 g −1 h −1 . methods and ranges are commented further in the discussion .
g . w . rouse , s . k . goffredi , and r . c . vrijenhoek ( 2004 ) .
osedax : bone - eating marine worms with dwarf males
. science 305 : 668–671 . doi : 10 . 1126 / science . 1098650 . pmid 15286372 .
specimens were carefully dissected from the bone and fixed for immunohistochemistry , benzidine staining and histology . prior to dissection , osedax mucofloris were anesthetized for 5–10 minutes in a 1∶1 solution of seawater and mgcl 2 ( isotonic to seawater ) . anaesthetized animals were gently dissected with scalpels and fixed at 4°c over night in 4 % paraformaldehyde in 0 . 15 m phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ) with 5 % sucrose , ph 7 . 4 . subsequently , the animals were rinsed 4–6 times for 30 min in pbs with 5 % sucrose and were then stored at 4°c in pbs with 0 . 05 % sodium azide ( nan 3 ) .
an extended root surface ( and high area to volume ratio ) is likewise found in both lamellibrachia ( e . g . , [ 16 ] ) and osedax ( yet branched ) . however , the main function has so far been interpreted as very different . whereas the osedax root surface is suggested to mainly facilitate uptake of organic compounds ( with less focus on the possible congruent uptake of sulphide ) [ 9 ] , the root of lamellibrachia is found to be the main respiratory surface of hydrogen sulphide necessary for the chemosynthesis of the symbionts [ 16 ] , [ 17 ] , [ 28 ] .
the estimated diffusion distance in o . mucofloris ( pinnule epidermis 1–2 µm , palp epidermis ∼30 µm ) is furthermore comparable to what has been found for r . pachyptila ( pinnules ∼2 . 00 µm ; branchial filaments ∼25 µm ) and ridgeia piscesae ( pinnules ∼1 . 00 µm ; branchial filaments ∼17 µm ) [ 31 ] , [ 32 ] .
world - wide whale worms ? a new species of osedax from the shallow north atlantic
. proc . biol . sci . ( national center for biotechnology information ) 272 ( 1581 ) : 2587–92 . 22 december 2005 . doi : 10 . 1098 / rspb . 2005 . 3275 . pmc 1559975 . pmid 16321780 .
though beyond the scope of the present paper , microanalytical approaches such as microsensors [ 40 ] , [ 41 ] and functional imaging techniques [ 42 ] could yield a more complete mapping of the chemical microenvironment of osedax , including the exact levels of sulphide exposure and spatio - temporal dynamics of o 2 in the root system . it would also be interesting to know whether osedax have sulphide - binding properties of their haemoglobin as found in vestimentifera [ 43 ] , [ 44 ] , as they might use them to transport toxic sulphides from the area surrounding the root structure to e . g . , the palps , somehow releasing the toxic compounds to oxygenated seawater or detoxifying them .
two nerves , originating at the anterior part of the brain , innervate each palp . one nerve runs abfrontally , between the two lateral ciliary bands and the other nerve runs laterally underneath one of the ciliary bands ( figure 5a ) . further details on the female osedax nervous system will be described elsewhere ( worsaae & rouse , unpublished ) .
the unique bone - eating organism , osedax ( siboglinidae , annelida ) was first described in 2004 from a whale fall located at 2891 m depth in monterey bay , pacific ocean [ 1 ] . since its first discovery it has been found on multiple whale falls in the pacific and atlantic oceans , artificially deployed cow bones [ 2 ] as well as on other vertebrate bones such as those of teleost [ 3 ] . there are five formally described species , with at least a further 12 species known from genetic evidence [ 4 ] , [ 5 ] . in addition , convincing fossil traces of osedax have been found in oligocene and pliocene mammal bones [ 6 ] , [ 7 ] .
osedax worms are marine annelids closely related to the deep sea vent / seep - associated vestimentiferan worms . the sessile ( i . e . , fixed in one place ) females bore into the bones of whale carcasses - - and possibly bones of other vertebrates ( rouse et al . 2004 ; glover et al . 2005 ; vrijenhoek et al . 2008 ) .
we do not yet know the full answer . one theory is that it overcomes the problem of males and females finding each other if they are unable to move ( sessile ) , as osedax females are . the males are able to move around the females , fertilising their eggs . it is easier to do this if you are small and motile , or dwarfed .
micro sensor measurements of o 2 concentrations in proximity to the bone interface were conducted , through agar - filled holes , on osedax - colonized bone fragments in cuvettes . the obtained profiles of o 2 concentration from the aerated seawater , and inwards showed steep o 2 gradients towards both the bone and tissue surface ( figure 8a , b ) . anoxic conditions or very low o 2 levels were found at the bone surface , within the bone , and in proximity to the embedded root tissue of o . mucofloris ( table 2 ) . the average o 2 flux at the bone and tissue interface was 0 . 028±0 . 0024 nmol o 2 cm −2 s −1 ( n = 5 ) and 0 . 029±0 . 0040 nmol o 2 cm −2 s −1 ( n = 3 ) , respectively .
glover , a . g . ; kallstrom , b . ; smith , c . r . ; dahlgren , t . g . 2005 . world - wide whale worms ? a new species of osedax from the shallow north atlantic . proceedings of the royal society b - biological sciences 272 ( 1581 ) : 2587 - 2592 page ( s ) : 2 589 [ details ]
o 2 consumption was measured on o . mucofloris inhabiting three sectioned cow bone pieces ( b1 , b2 and b3 ) and bones in two cuvettes ( c1 and c2 ) . measurements were either initiated directly after the annelids protracted subsequent to the disturbance of being moved ( c1 , c2 , b1 ) or after one night of acclimatization ( b2 , b3 ) . all measurements were corrected for background respiration . for b2 and b3 the background respiration was measured using the same water and bones ( after dissection and 48 hours of acclimation to restore biological activity ) . for c1 , c2 and b1 the background respiration was the mean value of measurements using new water , bones in two cuvettes and three sectioned bone pieces without o . mucofloris . different respiration chambers were used for sliced bone pieces ( volume : 186 ml ) and cuvettes ( volume : 51 ml ) .
the present study shows that osedax mucofloris has a higher weight specific o 2 consumption ( mo 2 ) than other resting annelids ( figure 9 ) [ 18 ] . this may reflect an elevated demand of the embedded tissue due to presence of heterotrophic aerobic endosymbionts , which have a higher metabolism than regular tissue . the measured mo 2 actually corresponds to that found for riftia pachyptila [ 22 ] , [ 23 ] ( figure 9 ) , possessing a vast amount of chemoautotrophic bacteria in their trophosome . furthermore , a high mo 2 may also reflect oxidative sulphide detoxification . the high mo 2 corresponds well with the large sbsa and elaborate branchial structures , which are both usually associated with animals exhibiting a high o 2 demand . this correlation is also found in arenicola marina with smaller sbsa and lower mo 2 ( red square , figure 9 ) .
a : sketch of the path of the longitudinal trunk vessels into the root structure , drawn from the light microscope with a camera lucida of a benzidine stained o . mucofloris female . trunk twisted in midsection . b : dic light micrograph of a benzidine stained o . mucofloris female . lateral view , trunk twisted in midsection . ventral and dorsal blood vessels continues , folded , into the anterior part of the ovisac / root system . c : close up of blood vessels near ovisac . d : close up of blood vessels supplying more distally placed capillaries . e : capillaries supplying tissue and endosymbionts . abbreviations : blood traces ( b ) , blood vessel ( bv ) , capillaries ( cap ) , dorsal blood vessel ( dbv ) , egg cluster ( ec ) , oviduct ( od ) , ovisac ( os ) , palp ( p ) , root structure ( r ) , trunk ( t ) , ventral blood vessel ( vbv ) .
glover , a . g ; kallstrom , b . ; smith , c . r ; dahlgren , t . g ( 2005 ) .
world - wide whale worms ? a new species of osedax from the shallow north atlantic
. proceedings of the royal society b : biological sciences 272 ( 1581 ) : 2587–2592 . doi : 10 . 1098 / rspb . 2005 . 3275 . issn 0962 - 8452 . pmc 1559975 . pmid 16321780 .
the trunk of osedax mucofloris encloses two major longitudinal blood vessels ( figures 2e , 6a , b ) . the dorsal vessel is highly muscularized with circular musculature throughout its length ( figure 2d , e ) . no lateral connecting vessels between the major longitudinal vessels or epidermal capillaries were found in the trunk . from the trunk , the two blood vessels continue posteriorly into the root structure and increase in diameter ( figure 6a , b ) . when studied under the light microscope , the muscularized dorsal vessel is visible as a defined tube along the trunk , and continues into the anterior root structure , curling up in the centre anterior to the ovisac . the curling configuration is most likely caused by contraction of the basal part of the trunk . the exact further path of the vessel was difficult to determine . the confocal laser scanning microscope ( clsm ) studies also showed the continuation of the dorsal blood vessel around the ovisac , revealing cylindrical musculature at the ovisac , corresponding in diameter to the musculature of the dorsal blood vessel of the trunk ( figure 4b ) .
a : osedax mucofloris extend its palps and pinnules , with large respiratory surfaces , into the overlying o 2 - rich water in order to uptake o 2 . o 2 is then distributed to the buried root system through the extensive blood vascular system also supplying the heterotrophic endosymbionts . the o 2 distribution to the root system is crucial as local uptake is not possible in the anoxic bone environment . the anoxic environment is partly produced by intense bacterial processes ( green arrows ) utilizing o 2 at the bone surface . hydrogen sulphide is produced by anoxic bacterial processes within the bone matrix during decomposition of organic content using sulphate . b : schematic illustration of assumed blood flow in palp and pinnules , longitudinal section . blue vessels carrying venous blood through afferent vessels , red vessels carrying arterial blood through efferent vessels . c : schematic illustration of assumed blood flow in palp and pinnules , transverse section . likewise blue vessels carries venous blood through afferent vessels , red vessels carries arterial blood through efferent vessels . note that the palp blood vessels are created by an invagination of the basement membrane . green indicates musculature .
a rough estimate was made of the surface area of the anterior crown , calculated from palp length given by glover et al . [ 12 ] , and the dimensions of palps and pinnules of o . mucofloris found in the present study . this results in a weight specific branchial surface area ( sbsa ) of ∼22 cm 2 g −1 fixed mass , which is similar to the sbsa of riftia pachyptila and higher than the sbsa of fish , crabs and other annelids [ 31 ] . this is especially obvious when compared to the sbsa of e . g . , arenicola marina ( 4 . 00 cm 2 g −1 ) [ 34 ] , although this species can also take up o 2 across its general epidermis .
interestingly , the present study showed that each pinnule is equipped with a distal sensory cell and external sensory cilia . these structures may sense disturbance in the water to avoid predators , as osedax need not sense food items or reproductive indicators in the water [ 1 ] , [ 8 ] , [ 35 ] . additionally , sensing of currents may also be beneficial in order to orientate the palps e . g . , for optimal uptake of dissolved o 2 . riftia pachyptila does not have sensory structures on the pinnules , but does have long , separate sensory filaments that lack ciliary bands and pinnules . these structures , with unknown function , are placed between pinnulated filaments [ 33 ] .
a : single z - stack image of the ‘trunk - root system’ connection , note the bundles of longitudinal muscles . b : musculature located by the ovisac , assumed to be the posterior end of the longitudinal dorsal blood vessel . c : single z - stack image of pinnules , circular musculature encircling the pinnular loop , note the distal perikaryon and sensory cilia . d : single z - stack image showing a longitudinal section of the pinnule in c , note the internal nerve . e : depth coded z - stack , pinnule nerves in osedax ‘yellow - collar’ . abbreviations : cilia ( ci ) , circular muscles ( cm ) , lateral ciliary band ( lcb ) , longitudinal muscles ( lm ) , nerve ( n ) , perikaryon ( pe ) .
in january 2009 , 3 replicate experimental sampling devices , using cow and whale bone , for recruitment of female o . mucofloris ( figure 10 ) were placed at 125 m depth off the coast of tjärnö , sweden ( 58°52 . 976n ; 11°05 . 715e ) in close vicinity to a minke whale carcass sunk in october 2003 [ 13 ] . one device for morphological and reproductive studies was successfully retrieved in may 2009 . a second device was retrieved in november 2009 for in vivo studies ( respirometry and microsensor analysis ) and additional morphological studies . additionally , a piece of cetacean bone deposited at 123 m in the same area in may 2008 was retrieved in january 2009 and used for preliminary investigations and for designing experimental setups . in january 2009 , the bottom water had a salinity of 34 . 6‰ , a temperature of 8 . 4°c , and an o 2 content of 78 . 7 % atmospheric saturation .
pinnules ( up to 100 µm wide ) project perpendicularly from the frontal palp surface between the lateral ciliary bands , with a density of approximately eight pinnules across the palp per 50 µm palp length ( figures 3a , 5f , g ) . at the proximal end of the palps , pinnules are less developed than at the distal end , seemingly growing in length ( up to 170 µm ) synchronously with the growth of the palp ( figure 3a ) . a sensory cell extends through the centre of the pinnule with a distal perikaryon and a few external , presumably sensory , cilia ( figure 4c , d ) . its axon seems to connect with one of the two major longitudinal palp nerves , possibly the one running more laterally beneath the ciliary band . this is supported by similar findings in osedax “yellow - collar
( figure 4e ) .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
your web browser is not enabled for javascript . some features of worldcat will not be available .
your list has reached the maximum number of items . please create a new list with a new name ; move some items to a new or existing list ; or delete some items .
note : citations are based on reference standards . however , formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study . the specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher , classroom teacher , institution or organization should be applied .
the e - mail address ( es ) field is required . please enter recipient e - mail address ( es ) .
the e - mail address ( es ) you entered is ( are ) not in a valid format . please re - enter recipient e - mail address ( es ) .
i thought you might be interested in this item at urltoken title : biology letters publisher : london : royal soc . , 2003 - isbn / issn : 0962 - 8452 oclc : 265429584
please choose whether or not you want other users to be able to see on your profile that this library is a favorite of yours .
you may have already requested this item . please select ok if you would like to proceed with this request anyway .
worldcat is the world ' s largest library catalog , helping you find library materials online . learn more ››
don ' t have an account ? you can easily create a free account .
read , g . ; fauchald , k . ( ed . ) ( 2018 ) . world polychaeta database .
glover , kallstrom , smith & dahlgren , 2005 . accessed through : world register of marine species at : urltoken ; = 265980 on 2018 - 07 - 09
van der land , j . ( ed ) . ( 2008 ) . unesco - ioc register of marine organisms ( urmo ) . , available online at urltoken [ details ]
: i think it ' s brilliant . describes exactly what it does and what it looks like and piques one ' s interest .
that is the most awful name for a species that i ' ve ever seen . wow .
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
feathered plumes , which are the gills , or branchiae , that bring oxygen down to the root structure embedded in the whale bone .
a cylinder - shaped column that extends furthest into the water column . scientists think this structure , an oviduct , shoots fertilised eggs into the water column , perhaps helping the animal to disperse tiny larvae to be carried off by ocean currents .
live specimens are visible as four white to pink palps that emerge from the surface of the whale bone . the palps are 5 - 6 mm in length , and are surrounded at their base by a thin mucous tube . the oviduct is white , and extends to one - third of the length of the uncontracted palps . the palps are of equal length , measuring 0 . 8 mm when contracted , with numerous pinnules 0 . 1 mm in length . at the base of the pinnules there is a ciliary band that runs the entire length of each palp . the pinnules are 0 . 01 mm wide . they are densely packed and coloured white to pink in live specimens , with microvilli 0 . 05 mm in length . the trunk region is 6 - 8 mm in length and 0 . 5 mm wide , and is partially embedded within the bone matrix . the trunk is principally composed of bands of longitudinal muscles , galnds and major dorsal and ventral blood vessels . the mouth and gut are absent . there are ventral plaques on the collar ( peristomial region ) of the trunk .
on dissected specimens , an oviduct is visble running into an ovisac and the root structure , and contains numerous eggs in the trunk region . there is a vascularized root system of 2 - 10 mm in length , which burrows in a shallow depression to depths of 2 - 3 mm into the whale bone matrix in a bracnhed , mycelial form . numerous eggs ( greater than 100 in number ) were relaesed from the ovisac on disturbance . the eggs ranged in diameter from 85 - 90 um . the chaetae and opisthosomal region were not observed . epibiotic rod - shaped bacteria ( length 1 - 1 . 5 um , width 300 nm ) were present over the surface of the trunks , palps and pinnules , but absent from the roots .
found on the bones of an experimentally implanted minke whale carcass at 125 m depth , kosterfjord , sweden ( 58°53 . 1 ` n , 11°06 . 4 ` e ) ( glover et al . , 2005 ) .
depth range based on 1 specimen in 1 taxon . environmental ranges depth range ( m ) : 125 - 125 note : this information has not been validated . check this * note * . your feedback is most welcome .
glover et al . ( 2005 ) reported that disturbance caused the worms to retract completely into the bone . however , when placed in aquaria , with clean , chilled seawater , they would emerge from the bone and be clearly visible to the naked eye . over a period of several minutes , the worms would first extend the palps , and then the oviduct ( see video here ) . any disturbance to the aquarium tank would result in the animals immediately withdrawing into the bone .
means
snot - flower bone - eater
, though the less - accurate
bone - eating snot - flower worm
seems to be the form actually used .
warning : the ncbi web site requires javascript to function . more . . .
verna c 1 , ramette a , wiklund h , dahlgren tg , glover ag , gaill f , dubilier n .
max planck institute for marine microbiology , celsiusstr . 1 , 28359 bremen , germany .
discover a faster , simpler path to publishing in a high - quality journal . plos one promises fair , rigorous peer review , broad scope , and wide readership – a perfect fit for your research every time .
copyright : © 2012 huusgaard et al . this is an open - access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution license , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited .
funding : the work was supported by the danish research council ( urltoken ; grant # 272 - 06 - 0260 to k . worsaae ) and the swedish research council ( urltoken ; grant # 2006 - 2768 to t . dahlgren ) . the funders had no role in study design , data collection and analysis , decision to publish , or preparation of the manuscript .
competing interests : one of the authors is currently employed as a senior researcher , phd by uni research , a non profit research institute controlled by the university of bergen . uni research has no competing interests to this work in terms of employment , consultancy , patents or products . this does also not alter the authors′ adherence to all the plos one policies on sharing data and materials .
ciliary bands and sensory structures ( anti acetylated α - tubulin staining and histology ) .
in the description below , we use a dorsal - ventral definition opposite to the one used by rouse et al . [ 1 ] , [ 21 ] , based on a new interpretation ( rouse & worsaae , unpublished ) .
we found two previously unreported broad longitudinal ciliary bands dorso - laterally on each side of the oviduct on the anterior part of the trunk ( figure 2a , b , e ) . the ciliary bundles of the bands consist of multi ciliated cells , appearing pillow - like with numerous , conspicuously short cilia ( < 10 µm long ) projecting outwards from the centre of the elliptical bundles ( figure 2c ) . the bundles are organized in an anterior - dorsal diagonal pattern within the longitudinal bands ( figure 2b ) . the ciliary bands narrow toward the posterior part of the trunk and are replaced by single tufts of cilia scattered basally across the trunk surface ( figure 2a ) . the short cilia appeared immotile , and with several longitudinal nerves running beneath , ( worsaae & rouse , unpublished ) their function may be sensory rather than ventilatory .
a : dorso - lateral view of a complete specimen , lateral ciliary bands occupies half the length of the trunk . b : dorsal view of the anterior part of the trunk , elliptical shaped cilia bundles are directed anteriorly from the lateral part of the trunk . c : depth coded z - stack , the elliptical shaped cilia bundles constituting the lateral ciliary band are formed by ciliary tufts . d : close - up of transverse section of a trunk . e : transverse section of a trunk , note the muscularized dorsal blood vessel . f : single z - stack image of the trunk musculature , longitudinal muscles beneath circular and diagonal muscles . abbreviations : ciliary tufts ( ct ) , circular muscles ( cm ) , diagonal muscles ( dm ) , elliptical ciliary bundles ( ecb ) , lateral ciliary band ( lcb ) , longitudinal muscles ( lm ) , muscular gap ( mg ) , palp ( p ) , root structure ( r ) , torn ovisac ( to ) , trunk ( t ) , dorsal blood vessel ( dbv ) .
two dense ciliary bands are found on each palp along their epidermal longitudinal lobes on each lateral side , as previously reported [ 12 ] ( figures 3a , b , e , 4c , 5a , f , g ) . the bands consist of multi ciliated cells with 70–90 µm long cilia ( figure 3e ) . the ciliary bands extend from near the basal part of the palps to the distal tip , beating in metachronal waves .
a : lateral view of palps , pinnules increasing in length and development along the palp . b : abfrontal view of the midsection of a palp , ciliary bands on each side . c : close - up of palp musculature . d : lateral view of the muscular palp - trunk connection . e : close - up of the lateral ciliary band of a palp . abbreviations : circular muscles ( cm ) , lateral ciliary band ( lcb ) , longitudinal muscles ( lm ) , muscular bundles ( bu ) , muscular gap ( mg ) , oviduct ( od ) , pinnules ( pin ) .
diagram of a transverse section of the basal part of palps ( a ) , dic light micrographs of benzidine stained palps ( b–d ) and transverse 1 . 2 µm sections of
a : diagram of a transverse section at the basal part of the palp region . circular musculature ( continued green lines ) encircles the longitudinal musculature ( green broken lines ) in a cylinder formation . two gaps separate the longitudinal muscle bands . black lines illustrate the motile lateral ciliary bands and two main palp nerves run along each palp as shown ( blue dots ) . b : pinnular loop filled with blood . c : pinnular loops , broken lines and arrows indicate the assumed direction of blood flow . d : midsection of palp , longitudinal blood vessels and pinnular loops visible . e : transverse section of a pinnule , the pinnular loop enclosed by a membrane fusing in the centre . f : transverse section of the distal part of a palp , arrow tips shows circular musculature . g : transverse section of the distal part of a palp , the two longitudinal blood vessels obvious . abbreviations : circular muscles ( cm ) , epidermis ( ep ) , lateral ciliary band ( lcb ) , left dorsal palp nerve ( ldpn ) , left ventral palp nerve ( lvpn ) , membrane fusion ( mf ) , musculature ( m ) , palp blood vessel ( pbv ) , pinnule ( pin ) , pinnular loop ( pl ) , right dorsal palp nerve ( rdpn ) , right ventral palp nerve ( rvpn ) .
the longitudinal muscles run along the entire length of the trunk ( figure 2a ) , originating posteriorly at the trunk basis , and inserting anteriorly at the base of the four palps ( figure 3d ) . in one individual , it was possible to detect clustering of longitudinal muscles into 14–16 bundles of > 20 muscle strands in the posterior part of the trunk , anterior to the root structure ( figure 4a ) . along , and around the entire trunk , the muscles are distributed in a dense cylindrical formation with an average of six strands per 50 µm ( figures 2d , e , 3d ) . the musculature is slightly separated internally to the oviduct ( possibly by the nerve cords ) , as well as randomly along the trunk , creating minor gaps most likely for mucus gland exits or nerves ( figures 2a , 3d ) . anteriorly , a gap in the musculature is found ventrally at the position of the brain , as well as at each of the four insertion points of the palps . at each of these four points , the longitudinal musculature divides into two bundles ( of each 20–30 strands ) , encircling the insertion point of the palp ( figure 3d ) . the longitudinal palp muscles originate at the base and run along the entire length of the palps to their tips , separated by a smaller frontal and a larger abfrontal gap ( figures 3c , d , 5a ) . no longitudinal musculature was detected in the pinnules .
around the ovisac and anterior root structure the longitudinal musculature divides , and together with the circular muscles , creates a mesh - like structure ( figure 4a ) . the musculature extends posteriorly along the roots in a cylindrical formation , supporting the tissue penetrating the bone .
thin circular muscles are found peripheral to the longitudinal muscles along the entire trunk , with 24 strands per 50 µm ( figure 2d ) . the circular muscles are most dominant in the posterior part of the trunk and continue into the root structure ( figure 4a ) . notably , much thicker diagonal muscle strands were found beneath the circular musculature , but peripheral to the longitudinal muscles ( figure 2f ) . attached at the mid - dorsal line , the strands run diagonally around the trunk in an anterior direction and attach at the mid - ventral line . the diagonal muscles are distributed along the entire length of the trunk , lying further apart ( 35–70 µm ) in the posterior end than along the rest of the trunk ( 5–10 µm ) .
the circular musculature of the palps encircles the longitudinal musculature as a cylinder with ∼18 muscle strands per 50 µm and is evenly distributed along the entire palp ( figure 3c ) . fine circular muscles enclose each vessel of the pinnular loop ( figure 4c , d ) ; they were likewise visible in the semi - thin sections on the outside of the pinnular loop and along the midline of each pinnule ( figure 5f , arrow tips ) , with a spacing corresponding to those shown with phalloidin staining ( figure 4c , d ) .
the ventral blood vessel also continues into the root structure , but as a narrower and less defined vessel , the path of which was even more difficult to determine , than that of the dorsal vessel . blood vessels of different sizes , as well as multiple obvious capillaries within the root tissue were observed ( figure 6b–e ) . larger vessels extend out from the area of the ovisac and divide into thinner vessels ( diameter : 7–30 µm ) . capillaries were detected in the periphery of the root tissue ( figure 6e ) , with distances between the detected capillaries ranging from 65–220 µm .
anteriorly , each palp encloses a pair of blood vessels created by invaginations of the inner lamina of the basement membrane of the epidermis ( figures 5f , g , 7c ) . imaging of live specimens confirmed the presence of two blood vessels , running along the entire length of the palps .
the pinnules are largely filled by a blood cavity lined with a membrane , which fuses in between the two blood cavities along most of the pinnule length , thereby creating the pinnular loop ( figures 5b–g , 7c ) . the palps of the histological sections were ∼300 µm in diameter at the base and the palp epidermis was ∼50–75 µm thick . the palp diameter and the thickness of the epidermis were both found to decrease towards the distal end of the palp .
pinnules vary in diameter along their length and along the palp , with a median diameter of ∼40×100 µm for the pinnules and ∼20–40 µm for each blood vessel . the diffusion distance across the pinnule epithelium was measured on the semi - thin sections to be 1–2 µm , and for the epidermis of the distal part of the palps , the diffusion distance was measured to be ∼30 µm .
a : depth profile of o 2 towards bone surface , blue : agar , red : cuvette wall , green : bone surface . b : depth profil of o 2 towards tissue surface , blue : agar , red : cuvette wall , green : tissue surface . c : schematic drawing of the micro sensor measuring path through the cuvette wall . d : placement of measuring site on wb1 , note the blackened areas indicating presence of ferrous sulphide . e : close - up of measuring sites on wb1 .
micro sensor measurements of o 2 distribution in one mucus tube showed a ∼50 % decrease in the o 2 concentration in the centre of the mucus tube wall as compared to outside the tube ( table 3 ) . direct measurements within the tube were not possible due to disturbance by the worm . measurements of the o 2 microenvironment surrounding the palps showed a strong decrease in o 2 concentrations , when a palp approached the microelectrode measuring tip . at the base and middle of the palp , the o 2 levels were almost zero showing the o 2 uptake to be high in these areas ( table 3 ) . at the distal end of the palp the o 2 concentration was only reduced to approximately 50 % atmospheric saturation , possibly due to decaying palp tips .
the presence of highly vasculated palps and pinnules , the former densely ciliated showed that the anterior crown is the main site for o 2 uptake ( figure 7a–c ) . uptake of o 2 over the trunk surface is possible , but a thicker epidermis , short and seemingly immotile ciliary bands and no obvious respiratory structures suggest that the trunk is a minor site of o 2 uptake . oxygen does , to some extent , diffuse from the surrounding water into the mucus tube , thereby supplying the dwarf males .
the well - developed longitudinal musculature of the trunk serves to retract the trunk and palps into the tube and bone , presumably as protection from predators . as no regular retraction patterns of trunk musculature were detected , retraction into the tube is not considered a significant mode of ventilation for required o 2 . furthermore , the tube only surrounds the trunk , tightly fitting to the base of the trunk and the surface of the bone , preventing any water exchange to the ovisac and roots from the bone surface . the longitudinal musculature is moreover able to stretch the extensive branchial structures ( palps ) into the aerated water in order to increase the o 2 uptake .
the main blood flow within the palp vessels may be generated by the circular body wall musculature of the palp . however , the thin circular musculature of the pinnules surrounding each branch of the looped blood vessel ( figure 4c , d ) most likely assists local blood flow , as suggested for the tentacular vessels of riftia pachyptila [ 22 ] . musculature in anterior appendages has been found in several vestimentifera , in the form of sphincter muscles located in the branchial lamella and filament vessels [ 33 ] .
graph modified from cammen [ 18 ] , the regression line ( log r = −1 . 682 + 0 . 850 * log w ) calculated from measurements of resting nonventilating annelids only . dots : b1 ( red ) , b2 ( blue ) , b3 ( green ) , c1 ( purple ) , c2 ( yellow ) . triangles : previous measured o 2 consumption of r . pachyptila . no sulphide present in water when measuring : red , blue [ 22 ] and green [ 23 ] ; sulphide present in water during measurement : purple [ 23 ] . red square : o 2 consumption of resting arenicola marina [ 52 ] .
the experimental sampling devices were placed at 125 m depth off the coast of tjärnö , sweden ( 58°52 . 976n ; 11°05 . 715e ) in close vicinity to a minke whale carcass sunk in october 2003 [ 13 ] .
four specimens were stained following the protocol of worsaae & rouse [ 45 ] . first staining included the primary antibodies monoclonal mouse anti - acetylated α - tubulin ( sigma t6793 , 1∶200 ) & polyclonal rabbit anti - serotonin ( sigma : s5545 ; 1∶100 / 1∶400 ) or monoclonal mouse anti - acetylated α - tubulin & anti - fmrfamide ( immunostar : 20091 , 1∶100 ) . this was complimented by secondary antibodies ; anti - mouse cy5 ( jackson immunoresearch : 115 - 175 - 062 , 1∶400 ) and anti - rabbit tritc ( sigma t5268 , 1∶200 / 1∶400 ) . hereafter specimens were incubated for 60 min in phalloidin conjugated with fitc or alexa flour 488 ( sigma f5282 or invitrogen a12379 , 0 . 17 or 0 . 33 µmol l −1 phalloidin in pbs ) . specimens were mounted in 100 % vectashield® containing dapi ( vector laboratories inc . , california , usa ) and stored at −18°c . the specificity of primary antibody binding versus e . g . , autoflourescence was tested by omitting one of the primary antibodies , but otherwise treating specimens as described .
specimens were studied using a leica tcs sp5 confocal laser scanning microscope ( clsm ) ( university of copenhagen , faculty of health science , courtesy of m . givskov and t . bjarnsholt ) . leica lasaf computer software or imaris® x64 6 . 0 . 0 ( bitplane ag , zurich , switzerland ) was used to produce projections of z - stacks of clsm images , while further analyses of z - stack series were performed with imaris® x64 6 . 0 . 0 . computed 2d images of muscles , nerve and cilia with relation to respiration and palp morphology were further optimized with adobe photoshop cs3 and adobe illustrator ( adobe system incorporated ) for presentation .
one specimen was embedded in epon and used for histological analysis . semi - thick 1 . 2 µm sections were cut on a microtome ( em uc6 , leica , wetzlar germany ) with a diamond knife ( diatome ; biel , switzerland ) . a small amount of pattex contact adhesive ( pattex compact ; henkel kgaa , düsseldorf , germany ) was diluted with a few drops of xylene in an eppendorf tube and applied to the side of the epon block to make serial sectioning of ribbons possible following the protocol of henry [ 46 ] and ruthensteiner [ 47 ] . bands of ∼20 sections were stained with toluidine blue and mounted in entellan® ( electron microscopy sciences , pennsylvania , usa ) . sections were studied and photographed using light microscopy ( bx50 microscope ; dp71 camera ; cell f software ; olympus , japan ) .
using a modified version of the benzidine staining method by knox [ 48 ] , haemoglobin was stained in four fixed specimens . a 100 % saturated benzidine solution was prepared by adding benzidine to distilled water . the solution was stirred for two hours . fixed specimens were rinsed in running tap water in the same time period . specimens were subsequently incubated in the filtered benzidine solution for 1 hour , also under stirring . next , 3 % hydrogen peroxide was added drop by drop until blood vessels turned dark blue . specimens were either mounted in glycerol directly or dehydrated in a series of alcohol acidified with drops of 0 . 1 % acetic acid , where after tissues were cleared in xylene and mounted in d . p . x between two cover slips . specimens were analyzed and photographed under a light microscope ( bx50 microscope ; dp71 camera ; cell f software ; olympus , japan ) .
o 2 consumption was measured in seawater kept at ∼100 % atmospheric saturation using intermittent respirometry in accordance with vismann and hagerman [ 49 ] . the experimental setup was placed in a constant temperature room at 6°c . each experiment encompassed 3–8 measuring sequences consisting of a flushing period of 10–30 min and a measuring period of 30–45 min . the set - up had a chamber flushing rate of 30 ml min −1 and a shunt water flow of 8 ml min −1 past the o 2 electrode ( e5046 , radiometer medical aps , brønshøj , denmark ) .


zelus luridus , also known as the pale green assassin bug , is a species of assassin bug native to north america .

it is the most common zelus species in the eastern united states .

the size ranges from twelve and a half to eighteen millimeters long .

on average , adult females are sixteen millimeters long , while males are fourteen millimeters long .

though the base color is pale green , markings on the back can range from dark brown or red to bright yellow .

nymphs are generally more solid green , wingless , and with narrower bodies than adults .

the most reliable feature to distinguish this species from others is the pair of spines on the rear corners of the pronotum .

these spines are long on the lighter colored individuals and shorter on ones that are darker .

it can also be distinguished by dark bands on the distal ends of the femurs , but these can often be too light to be easily seen .

the egg masses , which are laid from late june to august , are conical in shape with a flat top .

they are laid on leaves in groups of twenty to fifty and held together with a sticky , brownish material .

like many other assassin bugs , zelus luridus preys on other insects .

it will often wait on leaves to ambush passing insects , but occasionally it also actively hunts .

for this , it uses sticky traps , a common predation strategy to species within the genus zelus .

the sticky material is produced by a gland on the leg .

this gland develops in the second instar .

during the first instar , the nymphs use secretions deposited over the egg batch by the female as the source of their sticky material .

zelus luridus

this is an assassin bug in the genus zelus . moving to that guide page . update : z . luridus is the species .
i found a zelus renardii nymph crawling on my bed on the second story . is there a chance that it emerged from eggs laid in my house ? also , what do zelus renardii nymphs eat ?
there are at least two generations annually here along the front range in colorado , probably three or more generations in southerly latitudes . i notice nymphs of z . luridus in spring , so it is likely that winter is passed in the egg stage .
there are currently five recognized species of zelus north of mexico , most with wide geographic distributions . few are readily identifiable to species just by looking at them , but common ones include : the lovely green zelus luridus with a sharp spine on either side of its thorax ; the bright red and black milkweed assassin bug , z . longipes found in the southeast u . s . ; and the non - descript z . tetracanthus with its four small
knobs
across the top of its thorax . the leafhopper assassin bug , z . renardii , is common in the southwest u . s . and has been entertained as a potential biocontrol agent for pest reduction in agricultural settings .
genus zelus fabricius in the united states , canada , and northern mexico ( hemiptera : reduviidae ) hart e . r . 1986 . ann . ent . soc . am . 79 : 535 - 548 .
assassin bugs in general are indiscriminate predators of other insects , and zelus is no exception . so , while they will dine on leafhoppers , small caterpillars , and other pests , they will also capture beneficial insects such as small bees .
zelus species range from 14 - 21 millimeters in body length as adults , and are relatively easy to recognize with their slender build , long legs and antennae , and diurnal period of activity . they are largely arboreal , so you will find them mostly on foliage and flowers of trees , shrubs , and herbs .
this is a zelus luridus - or pale green assassin bug . i believe this is an immature one . being
true bugs
, the babies of these insects look like small versions of the adults - without wings . most insects go through different stages - egg , nymph , pupa , before appearing as an adult that most of us recognize . true bugs grow into adulthood without going through these changes . in addition they eat the same food as the adults ( unlike insects like butterflies , whose babies ( ( caterpillars ) ) eat leaves ) . here is an explanation of these processes : urltoken and here is information about the little bugger who bit your child : urltoken i hope this is helpful . please contact aae again if you have further questions .
your garden is full of amazing predators , easily overlooked among the foliage and flowers . no matter where you live in the u . s . and southern canada , save perhaps for the northern rocky mountains , you probably have sundew assassin bugs of the genus zelus lurking in the yard . these leggy insects move slowly about , or wait in ambush for potential prey .
eric , any idea how long it takes for zelus eggs to hatch ? i collected and kept a female z . renardii in a small jar for a few days and then let it go . while in the jar , she laid eggs that i did not notice . after what seemed like just a few days i noticed the nymphs crawling all over in the jar .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
upcoming events 2018 bugguide gathering in virginia july 27 - 29 : registration and discussion photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in wisconsin , july 10 - 12 photos of insects and people from the 2014 gathering in virginia , june 4 - 7 . photos of insects and people from the 2013 gathering in arizona , july 25 - 28 photos of insects and people from the 2012 gathering in alabama photos of insects and people from the 2011 gathering in iowa photos from the 2010 workshop in grinnell , iowa photos from the 2009 gathering in washington
is apple green , and markings on the back may be very dark or rather light . the legs sometimes have dark or red bands on the distal ends of the femurs , but these can often be so light as to be almost invisible . when i ' ve seen mating pairs , the males tend to be the darker ones , with the more pronounced red leg bands .
, which are rather long on the light colored individuals and shorter on the dark .
e na to rockies ( qc - fl to mb - wy - se . az ) / mex .
1 . eggs . 2 . newly hatched nymphs . 3 . first instar nymphs . 4 . older nymph . 5 . adult
how to know the true bugs slater , james a . , and baranowski , richard m . 1978 . wm . c . brown company .
contributed by eric r . eaton on 28 september , 2006 - 3 : 20pm additional contributions by cotinis , hannah nendick - mason , beatriz moisset , bbarnd , mike quinn , v belov last updated 15 december , 2017 - 3 : 34pm
disclaimer : dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service . we strive to provide accurate information , but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world . if you need expert professional advice , contact your local extension office .
contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content . click the contributor ' s name for licensing and usage information . everything else copyright © 2003 - 2018 iowa state university , unless otherwise noted .
this is a dead bug , since my wife put it in the sun . when it was alive , it was mostly green with a sort of long chevron shaped mark ( with the apex toward the head ) on it ' s back ( wings ) . it ' s about 5 / 8
long not including the front legs . i found it in the kitchen when it landed on my wife in the evening . she said she found another one in her car a day or two later . it ' s possible that we picked them up while camping at summersville lake , w . va . a week earlier . i was trying to be nice to the bug . instead of killing it , i began to carry it outside between my fingers . the little b _ _ _ _ _ _ bit or stung me on the tip of my ring finger . i ' m not sure it ' s related , but i ' ve had an aching feeling in that arm since about a day afterward .
before it dried out , did it look something like this ? urltoken - - t . carter ross
nope . it was mostly green , didn ' t have all that red . i ' ve found there are at least 3 , 000 species of assassin bug .
they have piercing sucking mouthparts so its more of a stab than a bite . when i was a kid i made the same mistake with a wheel bug that patrick mentioned and it seemed much worse than any bee or wasp sting .
thanks for the comment . i too thought it seemed to have a sucking mouth apparatus similar to that of a fly .
this is an assassin bug , family reduvidae . they do bite in self defense , as well as being predatory on other insects , and some of them can inflict a fairly painful stab . the wheel bug , a large gray species , is infamous for inflicting painful wounds . i have a trick for removing insects and spiders from my house without killing them : i coax them into a large plastic cup laid on its side , say , with a wisk broom or a piece of paper . i then carry them outside in the cup . most things cannot climb the walls of the cup , so i know i won ' t get bitten or stung . again , assassin bugs are just about the only
true bugs
that do bite . patrick coin durham , north carolina
thanks for the name and comment . i ' ve used a similar method , putting a cup or glass over the bug and then sliding paper between the cup and the surface , for wasps and hornets , but this guy appeared so harmless . i won ' t assume that again !
select your preferred way to display the comments and click ' save settings ' to activate your changes .
photographed at the turtle river state park , north dakota ( 20 june 2011 ) .
all about insects , spiders , and other arthropods , focusing on north america north of mexico .
sundew assassins get their common name from the unique physiology that allows them to catch prey . while ambush bugs have extremely muscular front legs that snap shut on prey with stunning force , sundew assassins look like the 90 - pound weakling by comparison . their appendages are thin and seemingly delicate or flimsy . the tibiae (
shins
) of the front legs ( and to some degree the middle legs ) are densely covered in short hairs , and this is part of their secret weapon .
special glands in the exoskeleton of the legs secrete a glue - like material that that the insect intentionally smears over those hairs . this creates a sticky layer that small prey cannot escape from once the assassin grabs them . the prey - catching scenario is analogous to the insect - eating plant known as the sundew , which inspires the name
sundew assassin bugs .
when they hatch from the egg , nymphs do not have the ability to produce the glue they need . no matter , mom has covered the egg cluster in sticky goo to help repel egg parasites like tiny wasps , and the nymphs simply wipe their
arms
along the base of the egg mass to gather some glue ( weirauch , 2006 ) .
nymphs go through five instars ( an instar is the interval between molts ) on their way to adulthood . they are noticeably larger after each molt , with wing pads evident in the last couple of stages .
the egg mass reminds me of a tiny crème brûlée , but perhaps i need to eat lunch and return to finish this post later . . . . i was delighted to stumble upon a couple of egg masses in the act of hatching at the cheyenne mountain zoo here in colorado springs back on july 21 . it seems remarkable that such long - legged creatures could be packaged in such small vessels .
despite our tendency to classify insects as
good
or
bad
for our own selfish reasons , sundew assassin bugs should be welcomed for the benefits they provide in occasional pest control , and their unique behavior and
personality ,
if i dare use that word for an invertebrate .
sources : > valerie . 2014 .
reduviidae ~ assassin bugs ,
austin bug collection .
19 , zugleich kataloge der oö . landesmuseen neue serie 50 ( 2006 ) , 1169 - 1180 .
wolf , klaus werner and walton reid . 2001 .
surface morphology of legs in the assassin bug
you ' re welcome , ron ! yes , assassin bugs in general can give a painful bite in self - defense . the worst bite i ' ve ever experienced was from another kind of reduviid .
i do not know the answer to that . i suspect it varies a bit , from species to species and region to region , but i imagine it takes a week or two for the eggs to hatch .
just saw what i thought are my first samples of this species after more than 20 years in this area but saw two on the same day . funny how that works .
not likely that eggs were laid indoors . could have fallen off a tree , been blown in . . . . nymphs feed on any insect they can overpower .
that is a medical question and i am unqualified to answer it . seek a physician if you experience symptoms out of proportion to the bite ( beyond normal localized pain , inflammation ) .
is this ok to have as a pet my son caught one and we thought it was a baby mantis . it just shed and we have been giving it ants to eat or should we just let it go ?
yes , it is fine to keep as a pet , but don ' t feed it ants , especially after it has just molted . ants can kill it ! feed it aphids , leafhoppers , and other small insects that cannot bite or otherwise defend themselves easily .
i found one in my kitchen , i think , but it doesn ' t have any wings . it looks like the pictures though . is it possible that it is one ?
quite possible indeed . nymphs , which are probably already evident in southern latitudes by now , do not have wings .
tell us about it and you ' ll be helping the big bug hunt citizen science project .
please book me now for your own events : bugeric247atgmaildotcom . i am happy to be a guest speaker , field trip leader , workshop facilitator , and sign copies of the kaufman guide . thank you .
i now accept donations here . if you like what i am doing , please see the button at the bottom of this sidebar . thank you .
google book search provides previews of several pages of text and plates so that you can judge for yourself the quality of the book .
is a large cosmopolitan family of about 7000 species of predatory insects in the suborder heteroptera . it includes assassin bugs ( genera :
adult assassin bugs range from 4 - 40 mm , with an elongated head and distinct narrowed neck , long legs , and a prominent , segmented tube for feeding ( rostrum ) . the most distinctive feature of the family is that the tip of the rostrum fits into a groove in the prosternum , where it is rasped against ridges there (
) to produce sound , a tactic often used to intimidate predators , rivals and attract mates .
assassin bugs use their rostrum to inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey , which are then sucked out by means of a cybarial pump through another passage in the rostrum . the legs of some species are covered in tiny hairs that help them hold onto their prey while they feed . as nymphs , some species will cover and camouflage themselves with plant debris , or the remains of dead prey insects [ 1 ] . some species have been known to feed on cockroaches or bedbugs ( in the case of the masked hunter ) and are regarded in many locations as beneficial . some people breed them as pets and for insect control . some assassin bug groups specialize on certain prey groups , such as ants ( feather - legged bugs - holoptilinae ) , termites , or diplopods ( ectrichodiinae ) .
that causes chagas disease , also referred to as american trypanosomiasis . triatomines are primarily nocturnal and feed on the blood of mammals ( including humans ) , birds , and reptiles .
chagas disease is named after the brazilian physician carlos chagas , who discovered the disease in 1909 . it is transmitted to animals and people by insect vectors that are found only in the americas . in the united states , chagas disease is considered a neglected infection of poverty ( nip ) , since it is found mostly in those with limited resources and limited access to medical care .
infection is most commonly acquired through contact with the feces of an infected triatomine bug , but can also be passed from mother to baby , by contaminated blood products , organ transplants , or , rarely , through contaminated food or drink . [ 2 ]
triatomine bugs are currently found over the lower 2 / 3rds of the u . s . , including hawaii . their range is expanding rapidly due to climate change , and they can live indoors and in a variety of outdoor venues : in chicken coops , dog houses , in rodent nest or animal burrows ; in rock or wood piles , beneath the bark of trees , or under concrete walkways and patios .
because most indoor structures in the united states are built with insect - resistent sealed entryways , triatomine bugs rarely infest indoor areas of houses . however , in areas of latin america where human chagas disease is an important public health problem , the bugs nest in cracks and holes of substandard housing , i . e . those with thatched roofs or mud walls .
discovery of immature stages of the bug ( wingless , smaller nymphs ) indoors may be an indication of infestation ; they are likely to be in one of the following settings : in pet bedding , areas of rodent infestation , and in bedrooms , especially under or near mattresses or night stands . in fact , the larvae of the assassin bug
transmission of chagas disease from a bug to a human is not easy . the parasite that causes the disease is in the bug feces . the bug generally defecates on or near a person while it is feeding on his or her blood , generally when the person is sleeping . transmission occurs when fecal material gets rubbed into the bite wound or into a mucous membrane ( for example , the eye or mouth ) , and the parasite enters the body [ 2 ] .
romaña ' s sign : swelling of the eyelid is a marker of acute chagas disease . the swelling is due to bug feces being accidentally rubbed into the eye , or because the bite wound was on the same side of the child ' s face as the swelling . [ 3 ] image : cdc
it is important to note that not all triatomine bugs are infected with the parasite that causes chagas disease . the likelihood of getting chagas disease from a triatomine bug in the united states is low , even if the bug is infected [ 2 ] .
james rennie , insect architecture , vol 2 . pg . 165
structure of larvae
order hemiptera : true bugs number almost 5 , 000 species in north america , and 40 , 000 worldwide . they have mouthparts formed into a beak , adapted for sucking plant juices or the liquefied insides of their animal prey . suborder auchenorrhyncha - cicadas & planthoppers suborder sternorrhyncha - aphids , scales , mealybugs , jumping plant lice .
my little girl was bit or stung by a tiny green bug , a little bigger than a mosquito , lime green in color . the bit was painful and it swelled up but has since gone down . no one seems to know what this bug is . can you take a look at this photo and let me know please .
wow , thank you so much for your fast reply and yes it ' s name sure does match it ' s bite . my daughter is 11 and it brought her to tears , she said it was worse than a bee sting . should i be on the look out for more of these critters ? this happened while she was just sitting in the living room . again , thank you for getting back to me to quickly . diette
it ' s getting late in the year , so hopefully these bugs will soon cease to be a problem . in spite of the unhappy experience you ' ve had , these insects are beneficial in our gardens and fields . they consume lots of harmful insects . they are rather uncommon and it ' s possible that you and your daughter will live out the rest of your lives without ever encountering another one . here is a quote from a university of missouri article about assassin bugs :
avoiding our harmful assassins involves taking simple precautions . exclude them from your home by repairing window screens , applying weatherstripping , and sealing other openings . use yellow bulbs in porchlights , and dispense with bug zappers . do not camp or sleep inside caves , barns or other sheltered areas frequented by masked hunters , corsairs , and conenoses . to avoid a self - defense bite , gently brush away any bug that lands on you .
the beneficial qualities of assassin bugs far outweigh their negative potential , and learning to get along with these indispensable predators is in our own best interest .
good morning , i ' m pretty sure i just discovered an adult assassin bug in my house . i have to admit , freaks me out a bit ! how many are in here ? ? ? i ' ve attached a few photos , sorry . . . he ' s a bit smushed ! if it ' s not the assassan bug , what is this ? i was looking at the article you sent me back in october and it seems like it ' s the same bug , just an adult this time . please advise , diette
the critter in the photo is too mangled , and the resolution isn ' t good enough for me to pick out identifying details but if you google assassin bug and look at
images
you should be able to verify its identity . since these bugs produce only one generation per year - and they tend to be solitary and somewhat nomadic - there probably aren ' t lots of others in your house . they are coming in from the outside . controlling them indoors involves thorough cleaning and vacuuming to reduce other prey insects , caulking areas that may be open to the outdoor , keeping pets indoors . here is another publication that contains information about keeping them out of your house : urltoken
did not know if you can tell me what kind of insect this is and if it is bad . . . .
a pale green assassin bug with prey in frederick co . , maryland ( 9 / 13 / 2015 ) . photo by bonnie ott . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 6 / 16 / 2013 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 6 / 4 / 2013 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in howard co . , maryland ( 6 / 7 / 2015 ) . photo by richard orr . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in allegany co . , maryland ( 6 / 28 / 2015 ) . photo by ashley bradford . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in frederick co . , maryland ( 11 / 4 / 2017 ) . photo by mark etheridge . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in worcester co . , maryland ( 5 / 28 / 2014 ) . photo by scott housten . ( mbp list )
pale green assassin bug in washington co . , maryland ( 5 / 26 / 2014 ) . photo by hans holbrook . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 10 / 24 / 2014 ) . photo by jesse christopherson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph feeding on chrysopilus modestus in montgomery co . , maryland ( 7 / 23 / 2015 ) . photo by steve scholnick . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in garrett co . , maryland ( 6 / 24 / 2013 ) . photo by matt tillett . ( mbp list )
pale green assassin bug in talbot co . , maryland ( 5 / 16 / 2015 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in dorchester co . , maryland ( 5 / 24 / 2015 ) . verified by john s . ascher / bugguide . photo by jonathan willey . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 6 / 12 / 2016 ) . photo by robert aguilar , serc . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in frederick co . , maryland ( 6 / 8 / 2013 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in baltimore city , maryland ( 5 / 12 / 2009 ) . determined by v . belov / bugguide . photo by thomas wilson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in city , maryland ( 6 / 1 / 2010 ) . determined by ken wolgemuth / bugguide . photo by thomas wilson . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in talbot co . , maryland ( 5 / 16 / 2015 ) . photo by jim brighton . ( mbp list )
a pale green assasin bug nymph in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 7 / 22 / 2009 ) . photo by eric gofreed . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph photographed at the jemicy school in baltimore co . , maryland ( 10 / 10 / 2013 ) . photo by emily stanley . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug in prince george ' s co . , maryland ( 6 / 5 / 2012 ) . photo by barbara thurlow . ( mbp list )
the nymph of pale green assassin bug in cecil co . , maryland ( 4 / 29 / 2017 ) . photo by ashley bradford . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in baltimore co . , maryland ( 10 / 13 / 2017 ) . photo by pauline horn . ( mbp list )
a pale green assassin bug nymph in frederick co . , maryland ( 10 / 21 / 2017 ) . photo by mark etheridge . ( mbp list )
use of images featured on maryland biodiversity project is only permitted with express permission of the photographer .


myrmecia analis is a species of the myrmecia genus .

myrmecia analis is usually only found in western australia .

it was described by mayr in 1862 .

myrmecia analis are around 20-22 millimetres long on average , but some workers can be slightly smaller , and have the colour tone similar to myrmecia vindex , but the head is slightly darker .

the mandibles are around 3-4 millimeters long .

myrmecia analis

the above specimen data are provided by antweb . please see myrmecia analis for further details
no one has contributed data records for myrmecia analis yet . learn how to contribute .
myrmecia analis : holotype , worker , australia ( as new holland ) , australia , naturhistorisches museum wien , vienna .
atriscapa . myrmecia atriscapa crawley , 1925b : 580 ( w . ) australia . junior synonym of analis : clark , 1927 : 34 ; clark , 1951 : 54 .
die gattung myrmecia ist unterteilt in 9 artengruppen damit sich die vielen arten dieser gattung leichter klassifizieren lassen .
senior synonym of myrmecia atriscapa : clark , 1927 pdf : 34 ; clark , 1951 pdf : 54 .
the genus myrmecia is sub - divided in 9 species groups for an easier classification of the many species .
myrmecia atriscapa crawley , 1925 : syntype , 1 worker , albany , western australia , australia , australian museum .
myrmecia atriscapa crawley , 1925 : syntype , worker ( s ) , albany , western australia , australia , oxford university museum of natural history .
myrmecia atriscapa crawley , 1925 : syntype , 4 workers , albany , western australia , australia , clark , j . , anic32 - 005960 , australian national insect collection .
heterick ( 2009 ) - the apex of the gaster in this red - and - black ant is a conspicuous yellow .
the following information is derived from barry bolton ' s new general catalogue , a catalogue of the world ' s ants .
unless otherwise noted the text for the remainder of this section is reported from the publication that includes the original description .
crawley ( 1925 ) - length 14 mm . ( without mandibles ) ; length of mandibles 3 . 4 mm .
colour like a dark m . vindex , head somewhat darker ; mandibles castaneous with teeth dark brown ; scapes , except the extremities , dark brown ; legs slightly paler than thorax ; gaster deep black except the two apical segments and a wide lozenge - shaped patch on the middle of the second segment ( varying in distinctness in different specimens ) , which are castaneous .
legs pilose , but less so than in forficata , scapes with only a faint pubescence . there is a short pilosity on the body and a thin grey pubescence most abundant on gaster .
head broader than long , narrowing behind the eyes more than in forficata , the occipital angles not so rounded as in regularis , but more like a small forficata . clypeus emarginate , but not impressed in centre as in forficata . scapes pass the occiput by one - quarter of their length . epinotum moderately long , not sharply pointed in front . first node from above oval , narrower in front ; in profile rising abruptly in front ( even more so than in forficata ) , where it is highest , thence sloping down to the rounded posterior border . the stalk is intermediate between vindex and forficata , but nearer the former ; the length of the node is 1 . 4 that of the stalk , while in typical examples of vindex the proportion is 1 . 2 and in forficata 2 . 6 . the stalk is a little longer than in race simillima , sm . , of forficata . second node as broad as long , more than twice as wide behind as in front , the sides of the posterior third almost parallel .
entire head longitudinally rugose , with the space between eyes and antennal sockets reticulate . pronotum transversely striate , the striae not clean - cut , but wavy and arched . some specimens have one or two central longitudinal lines . rest of thorax : and epinotum with , similar but only transverse striation . petiole circularly rugose - striate ; postpetiole and first segment of gaster entirely smooth and shining , the remaining segments microscopically reticulate .
clark , j . 1927 . the ants of victoria . part iii . vic . nat . ( melb . ) 44 : 33 - 40 ( page 34 , queen described , , senior synonym of atriscapa )
clark , j . 1951 . the formicidae of australia . 1 . subfamily myrmeciinae : 230 pp . csiro , melbourne . [ ( 31 . xii ) . 1951 . ] pdf
crawley , w . c . 1925b . new ants from australia . - ii . ann . mag . nat . hist . 9 ( 16 ) : 577 - 598 pdf
heterick , b . e . 2009a . a guide to the ants of south - western australia . records of the western australian museum , supplement 76 : 1 - 206 . part 2 pdf
this page was last modified on 16 march 2017 , at 14 : 15 .
you must log in to access this functionality . you may create an account , or log in anonymously , here .
mayr , g . , 1862 , myrmecologische studien . , verhandlungen der zoologisch - botanischen gesellschaft in wien 12 , pp . 649 - 776
[ [ worker ] ] laenge : 19 mm - hellroth , mandibeln , geissel und beine gelb , die zwei knoten gelbroth , hinterleib schwarz , an der spitze gelb , die zaehne der mandibeln schwaerzlich , der schaft braun . die abstehende behaarung ist ziemlich spaerlich am ganzen koerper vertheilt , sie ist gelb , fein und nicht lang . die anliegende pubescenz ist sehr spaerlich , der hinterrand des ersten hinterleibssegmentes aber und die uebrigen segmente mit reichlicher gelber pubescenz . die mandibeln innen mit nur 4 groesseren zaehnen , die anderen sind klein , der aussenrand ist schwach concav , die oberseite fein und seicht laengsrunzlig und mit einer reihe grober puncte versehen . der kopf ist ziemlich grob streifig etwas nach hinten divergirend laengsgerunzelt ; das pronotum vorne quer bogig nach hinten gerunzelt , hinten laengsgerunzelt ; meso - und metanotum grob quergerunzelt . der erste knoten ist ziemlich grob quergerunzelt , wenig laenger als breit , seitlich gerundet , der zweite knoten und der hinterleib glatt und glaenzend , nur das mit reichlicher pubescenz versehene ende des hinterleibs ist fein punctirt . neuholland ( m . c . vienn . ) .
0 times found in low coastal scrub , 0 times found in banksia / nuytsia sandplain , 0 times found in swamp country , 0 times found in dry sclerophyll , 1 times found in heath , 0 times found in rainforest , 0 times found in sandplain heath .
0 times on track , 0 times ground forager , 0 times under rock , 1 times on shrub , 0 times on gyrostemon efn , 0 times mound nest , 0 times in termitarium , 1 times ground strays , 0 times forager on soil , 0 times flight intercept trap with trough .
antweb content is licensed under a creative commons attribution license . we encourage use of antweb images . in print , each image must include attribution to its photographer and
from urltoken
in the figure caption . for websites , images must be clearly identified as coming from urltoken , with a backward link to the respective source page . see how to cite antweb .
antweb is funded from private donations and from grants from the national science foundation , deb - 0344731 , ef - 0431330 and deb - 0842395 . c : 0
if you have images for this taxon that you would like to share with atlas of living australia , please upload using the upload tools .
crawley , w . c . 1925 ,
new ants from australia . ii
, annals and magazine of natural history , ser . 9 , vol . 16 , pp . 577 - 598
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 8af9e434 - ba60 - 4ee0 - 92e8 - 535f01764df5
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 99931b88 - 3019 - 4a77 - 86d6 - 41027a76aa46
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 9aa7c4df - a61f - 494c - aa6a - 9885e17b5965
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : ac864631 - cadc - 4015 - bca8 - 4575dddca2ce
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : b9020df3 - d630 - 4705 - 9029 - 53464f556a44
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : c6c54474 - a69c - 4148 - a566 - 79ada7b34ade
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : e3940235 - 1ae3 - 4bce - 9e67 - 70bac7f5d4a8
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : f2cfae3f - 2329 - 4aeb - 8890 - f863ae0213bb
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . taxon : 9b3c4d37 - 4f1f - 44a3 - 9710 - 18151a6d86ba
urn : lsid : biodiversity . org . au : afd . name : 302813
explore species occurrence records in the context of their environment . find records and model species distributions . export reports , maps and data .
find out how you can contribute to a citizen science project in your area , or explore one of the many citizen science projects supported by the ala .
did you see something ? photograph something ? contribute your sighting to the atlas of living australia .
the atlas of living australia acknowledges australia ' s traditional owners and pays respect to the past and present elders of the nation ' s aboriginal and torres strait islander communities . we honour and celebrate the spiritual , cultural and customary connections of traditional owners to country and the biodiversity that forms part of that country .
eol content is automatically assembled from many different content providers . as a result , from time to time you may find pages on eol that are confusing .
to request an improvement , please leave a comment on the page . thank you !
confused by a class within a class or an order within an order ? please see our brief essay .
to cite this page : myers , p . , r . espinosa , c . s . parr , t . jones , g . s . hammond , and t . a . dewey . 2018 . the animal diversity web ( online ) . accessed at https : / / animaldiversity . org .
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
html public
- / / w3c / / dtd xhtml 1 . 0 transitional / / en
urltoken
this graph is generated by google ngram viewer which is based on statistics from google books , that charts frequencies of any word or short sentence using yearly counts found in the sources printed between 1800 and 2008 in american and british english .