Ctenotrachelus is a small genus of New World Reduviidae, or assassin bugs, comprising 15 species which are found throughout South America and Mexico. However, the species C. shermani is the only species represented in the United States. This species is not particularly common – In 2003, it was listed for the state of Virginia as “rare to uncommon…with between 20 and 100 occurrences; … may be somewhat vulnerable to extirpation…” in the Natural Heritage Resources of Virginia: Rare Animal Species.

The species was first collected from a specimen in Raleigh, N.C. in 1926 by W.S. Blatchley, though he incorrectly called it Schumannia mexicana Champion. H.G. Barber revised the American Stenopodainae in 1930 and relocated this specimen as the type species of C. shermani into the genus Ctenotrachelus. This species is named after Frank Sherman, one of the earliest insect collectors in North Carolina. He was employed by the Department of Agriculture in the early 20th century.

The species is about 11-12mm in length and both males and females are fully winged. C. shermani is mostly light brown, though the eyes, antennae, scutellum, the apex of the tibia, and a longitudinal stripe along the thorax just dorsal to the coxae are a darker brown to black.

No species of Reduviidae in North America are known to require more than a year to complete a full life cycle, and many species have only one generation per year. However, there is sadly very little biological information available on species in the subfamily Stenopodainae. They are most often found living on the ground and are general predators of other insects and small arthropods. Species are most often collected at lights, in fact, the specimen in the photo here was very slow moving and could be easily collected!

The original collection record for this species was from Raleigh, N.C. in 1926. This species was at one point considered to be one of the most rarely collected reduviids in North America! C. shermani has been collected in the southeastern United States from Mississippi to Virginia. In North Carolina it has been collected at 7 different localities throughout the state.

• Asquith, 1992. Scientific Notes: New Distribution Records for the Assassin Bugs, Pnirontis Brimleyi and Ctenotrachelus Shermani (Heteroptera: Reduviidae). Florida Entomologist, v. 75, n. 1, p. 155-160.
• Ctenotrachelus shermani on BugGuide