Nabidae ~ Damsel Bugs

Damsel bugs are very small brown predators that are not often noticed. They tend to have a rather pointy head and a curving, obvious rostrum, or beak. Their antennae are long and thin. The front femurs are slightly enlarged, but they do not have any special front leg adaptations for gripping prey and do not catch their victims by grasping them. unidentified damsel bug nymph There are not many genera in this family and I've not seen very many species in our area. Identification is difficult enough with adults, but young nymphs are very hard to place. The one illustrated here was no more than 4 mm long. It may be a Hoplistoscelis species, just because the shape is similar and it was found near the ground, a habitat favored by that genus. Hoplistoscelis species Adult Hoplistoscelis species are usually wingless or have small rounded pads instead of functional wings. Their bodies are wider than the other damsel bug species and they can often be found crawling around on the ground. They are about 6-7 mm long. The most commonly seen damsel bug is a Nabis species. There are at least two possibilities for the exact identification of this species. Nabis is a grayish insect, about 7 mm long, usually found on vegetation, especially grass, where its shape and coloration blend in with seeds and foliage. One other species that is more slender and also winged is Metatropiphorus belfragii. This insect is sometimes attracted to lights. For those interested in very detailed identification features, this species lacks closed cells in the wing membrane, which is easy to see in a top view. Nabis species Metatropiphorus belfragii