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- Once an assassin bug has located its target, it uses its narrowed neck to stab the prey and inject it with a powerful enzyme. This enzyme liquefies the internal organs of the prey, allowing the bug to suck out the nutritious contents.
animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/assassin-bug.htmThe Assassin Bug Liquefies Its Victims' Organs Before Feasting
Sep 14, 2023 · Assassin bugs are skilled hunters that employ a variety of techniques to capture their prey. Some species are sit-and-wait predators, patiently ambushing their unsuspecting victims. Others actively search for prey, relying on their keen eyesight and excellent sense of smell.
- Assassin Bug Profile
- Interesting Assassin Bug Facts
- Assassin Bug Fact-File Summary
The word “bug” gets thrown around with reckless abandon in the non-entomology world, but it does have a true meaning in zoology: a true bug is from the order Hemiptera and is characterised by its piercing mouthparts and often shield-shaped body. Most bugs are plant suckers like aphids, but some feed on blood, such as bedbugs. Then there’s the famil...
1. They’re biters
All bugs bite one thing or another, but almost all predatory bugs live in the water, which makes assassin bugs unusual still. As bugs, these are real suckers. A long, rigid proboscis hides under the insect’s head, ready to unfold and impale unsuspecting prey. In most cases, this is a caterpillar or a small beetle, but sometimes it’s the young of a rival species!
2. Their proboscis is sheathed
Once they’re done slaughtering their enemies, that formidable piercing lance returns to its folded position, like a flick knife, under the head of the bug. It’s protected by a stiff sheath that not only keeps it sharp but also helps it talk.
3. They can use it to sing
Assassin bugs are capable of stridulation. This is a form of noise-based communication that can be accomplished by rubbing two stiff bits of insect together. Crickets, cicadas, and even longhorn beetles make sound this way, and as it happens, so do assassin bugs. While most insects use stridulation as a loving call to a potential mate, this would be uncharacteristic of a warrior race like the assassin bugs; instead, it seems to be primarily a defence sound and is thought to occur as a result...
Scientific Classification
1. “The Wheel Bug”, College of Agriculture Food and Environment. 2. Andrew A. Walker, “Melt With This Kiss: Paralyzing and Liquefying Venom of The Assassin Bug Pristhesancus plagipennis (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)”, Science Direct. 3. “Parasites – American Trypanosomiasis (also known as Chagas Disease)”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4. John H. Klotz (2010), “Kissing Bugs”: Potential Disease Vectors and Cause of Anaphylaxis”, Oxford Academic. 5. “Feather-legged assassin bug”, Pictur...
- Grasslands, forests and more
- Worldwide
- 6-10 months
- Up to about 3.3cm (1.5 inch)
After stabbing the prey with their proboscis, they inject venom or digestive juices into the body of the prey. This can effectively kill prey much larger than the assassin bug. They feed primarily on insects, but a few insects are considered parasitic and feed on mammalian blood.
Apr 16, 2024 · Assassin bugs usually kill their prey by stabbing them with their sharp mouthparts. These straw-like mouthparts are more suited for sucking rather than biting. Apart from sucking the juices of prey insects, assassin bugs also liquefy the prey’s body for consumption by injecting certain pre-digestion enzymes.
May 10, 2023 · There are other types of assassin bugs that will trick their prey using disguises such as covering themselves up with dirt and striking as the prey passes. Other ant-eating assassin bugs produce a sweet liquid to lure their prey right to them.
May 27, 2024 · Assassin bugs do not have the ability to kill people on their own, but the blood-sucking insects do spread dangerous diseases. Why is it called an assassin bug? The assassin bug is a capable predator that sneaks up on prey to ambush it. They consume all kinds of insects, including leafhoppers, flies, and their larvae and eggs. Where are ...
