Bee killer

Description:

Apiomerus is a conspicuous, brightly colored genus of assassin bugs belonging to the family Reduviidae. The species can be found in the United States ranging into tropical America. The common name bee assassins derives from their frequent habit of sitting and waiting upon flowers and taking bees as prey. The bright colors are aposematic likely a warning to larger predators that a painful bite can be delivered. Many species of this genus have a sticky resin pad located on their dorsal abdomen. The resin is thought to be derived from plant material and may play a role in defending eggs from predation, especially by ants. The genus presently consists of about 110 described species (Schuh and Slater 1995). (information from Wikipedia)

Habitat:

Forest