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Nov 4, 2024 · Assassin bugs, aka ambush bugs, have elongated bodies, long legs and a distinct, curved proboscis, which acts as their primary weapon. This proboscis allows them to inject toxins into their prey, liquefying the insides of dead prey insects for easy consumption.
Sep 14, 2023 · With over 7,000 species worldwide, these bugs come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the world of assassin bugs, exploring their unique characteristics, life cycle, anatomy, behavior, habitat, and distribution.
Assassin bugs feed by external digestion, meaning they push their beak into their victim’s body and inject a toxic liquid that affects the nerves and liquefies the muscles and tissues of their insect prey.
The assassin bug venom system plays diverse roles in prey capture, defence and extra-oral digestion, but it is poorly characterised, partly due to its anatomical complexity. Here we demonstrate that this complexity results from numerous adaptations.
Assassin bugs are true bugs (Hemiptera) in the family Reduviidae. They feed on a diverse variety of insects including flies, mosquitos, roaches, beetles, aphids and caterpillars. While these insects will not attack humans or pets, their bright colors should serve as a warning.
Reduviidae, the assassin bugs, occur worldwide, but species-level diversity is clearly highest in the tropics of the Old and New Worlds and several subfamilies are confined to specific biogeographic regions (Froeschner and Kormilev 1989; Maldonado 1990; Cassis and Gross 1995).
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Assassin bugs are predators who actively hunt their prey amidst most types of vegetation, including weeds, herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees. Both the nymphs and adults hunt, using their “raptorial” front legs to grab the prey, then inject a small amount of venom.