# Tree Damsel Bug

*Himacerus apterus*

Despite its species name apterus, meaning wingless, individuals possess reduced wings, and fully winged forms occasionally develop.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Nabidae › Himacerus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Deciduous woodland canopies, hedgerows, scrub, orchards, and gardens
- **Diet:** Carnivorous, preying on aphids, caterpillars, spider mites, and other small invertebrates
- **Range:** Europe, Northern Asia, Temperate Palearctic
- **Size:** 8–11 mm in length
- **Lifespan:** 1 yr
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Broad-spectrum insecticide use, hedgerow removal, and loss of deciduous woodland cover
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to humans and beneficial to garden plants. Maintain a respectful distance to observe naturally. If handled roughly, it can deliver a sharp, painful defensive poke with its piercing rostrum. If bitten, wash the site thoroughly with soap and water; symptoms typically resolve quickly without medical intervention.

## About

Himacerus apterus , known as the tree damsel bug , is a species of damsel bug belonging to the family Nabidae, subfamily Nabinae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/c90607c6-3c81-4be5-b26c-4cefb02958cc
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/333735
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himacerus apterus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/522708/medium.jpg (Jon Mortin, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.