Assassin bug
Assassin bugs are the Reduviidae. They are a large cosmopolitan family of "true bugs" or Hemiptera.
| Assassin bug Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous–Recent
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| Assassin bug (Rhynocoris iracundus) with bee prey | |
Scientific classification 
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| Unrecognized taxon (fix): | Cimicomorpha |
| Family: | Reduviidae Latreille, 1807 |
They are almost all terrestrial ambush predators.[1]
Most members of the family are easy to recognise: they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build and formidable curved proboscis. Large specimens should be handled with care, if at all, because they may defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.
Rhynocoris - Predacious flower assassin bug from South Africa. May bite when carelessly handled; painful after-effects often last for months.[2]
Assassin Bug Media
A Zelus nymph from the Southeastern United States
Orange assassin bug (Gminatus australis) feeding on a beetle
Arilus cristatus egg mass
References
- ↑ There are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae.
- ↑ Weaving, Alan; Picker, Mike; Griffiths, Charles Llewellyn (2003). Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. New Holland Publishers, Ltd. ISBN 1-86872-713-0.