Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Predatory, feeding on other insects and small arthropods.

• Sinea species use their piercing-sucking rostrum to stab prey and inject saliva that immobilises and begins digesting the prey before the liquid contents are consumed.

• Documented prey of the well-studied Sinea diadema include aphids, leafhoppers, caterpillar eggs, ladybird beetles and asparagus beetle eggs and larvae.

Range

• Sinea belongs to the family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae and tribe Harpactorini.

• It is a New World genus, with species ranging from Canada and the United States through Mexico and Central America to Colombia. The genus is particularly diverse in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

• Around Zihua, the genus would likely be considered occasional to locally common, particularly in areas with abundant low vegetation and insect prey. The tropical Pacific-slope environment provides suitable habitat for members of the genus.

Habitat

• Sinea species are generally associated with grasslands, fields, gardens, woodland margins and other vegetated terrestrial habitats.

• They are often found on low vegetation, where they hunt insects among leaves, stems and flowers. Harpactorini in Mexico are commonly encountered on low vegetation, leaf litter and fallen vegetation, particularly in sunny locations.

• Around Zihua, potential habitat includes tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, forest edges, grassy areas, gardens, agricultural land and roadside vegetation.

Size

• Sinea are generally small to medium-sized assassin bugs, with body lengths varying considerably among species.

• The body is typically somewhat elongated, with a relatively narrow head, prominent eyes, long antennae and a three-segmented piercing rostrum.

• Colouration is often brown, reddish-brown, grey or dark, providing camouflage against stems, bark and dry vegetation.