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Abstract
Ectomocoris xavierei Vennison & Ambrose 1990, a polymorphic assassin bug lays dull white, elongately oval eggs 12.67 ± 0.61 days after imaginai moult. Eggs are laid singly and each litter consists of 7.66 ± 0.76 eggs. E. xavierei deposits its eggs in the soil and takes 2 to 4 min to deposit an egg and a maximum of 12 eggs are deposited in a day. The eggs hatch in between 23 to 27 days and pinkish red nymphs turn black with yellow markings within 45 to 60 min. The total nymphal period from hatching to imaginai moult is 93.6 days. Description of nymphal instars and a key for the identification of nymphal instars are given. Females live longer than the males and a females biased sex ratio is recorded. It preys in the following sequential pattern: arousal — approach — pouncing — rostral probing — stylets penetration — prey transportation and feeding. The sequence observed in the mating behaviour is: arousal — approach — embracing — genitalia extension and connection — copulation — post copulatory act.
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