Acanthaspis quinquespinosa
species of assassin bug
Acanthaspis quinquespinosa is a species of assassin bug found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and Tibet. It is a predator, and both nymphs and adults feed on termites, beetles, caterpillars and other insect prey.
Description
The adult Acanthaspis quinquespinosa is a warningly-coloured, winged assassin bug that varies in appearance depending on the habitat in which it occurs. The overall colour is dark brown to black, with a reddish-brown abdomen and legs, and yellowish spots on the pronotum and fore-wings. There are two spines or prominent tubercles near the centre of the posterior lobe of the pronotum, and two long spines at the posterior margin; the scutellum bears a single spine at its apex. The insects are about 2 cm (0.8 in) long, with males being somewhat smaller than females. It is a common species; the colouring is similar to that of Acanthaspis angularis and Acanthaspis flavipes, but they can be distinguished by differences in the male genitalia.
Distribution and habitat
Acanthaspis quinquespinosa is native to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Tibet. It occurs in a number of different habitats including tropical rainforest, scrub-jungle and semiarid agricultural areas. Among the insects on which it feeds are various crop pests and it has been found on sugarcane, cotton and tea.
“Acanthaspis quinquespinosa” enters the record as species of assassin bug. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Acanthaspis, quinquespinosa and species can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Acanthaspis quinquespinosa” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Acanthaspis, quinquespinosa and species provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Nov 1, 2022. The linked authority identifier is Q104870553. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Acanthaspis quinquespinosa”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Acanthaspis quinquespinosa primary sources, Acanthaspis quinquespinosa archive and Acanthaspis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Acanthaspis quinquespinosa”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Acanthaspis quinquespinosa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.