Appearance and mating Assassin bugs don’t look like killers, but they are. They tend to be between 4.0 and 40 mm long with dull colors, however some are very bright. They have long heads that make them look like they have necks, they have bulging eyes, and they all have a long needle as a mouth called a “rostrum”. These bugs look silly, not dangerous. Assassin bugs mate in early summer and the male approaches the female. They have a ritual of antennae touching, jumping, and hesitant approaches. After the two mate, the male guards the female from predators while she lays eggs. She lays eggs in many types of plants. The eggs, tough like the adults, can survive in under zero degree temperature. The eggs hatch and become nymphs. The nymphs come out as wingless and small versions of the adult bugs. They molt several times before finishing growing. It takes them around two months to reach adulthood and these bugs can survive for two years. Now that they’re adults, they can go after larger prey.

How they kill Assassin bugs are general predators. They’ll pretty much eat everything and anything they can handle. They tend to eat bees, flies, caterpillars, aphids, spiders, and cockroaches. Some species focus on one insect in particular. Some assassin bugs have two front legs with tiny hairs that grab prey, not allowing them to escape. Other species have legs like a praying mantis and hold their prey in a similar way. Once the bug has its prey where it wants it, the assassin injects it’s rostrum into the prey and paralyzes it. The rostrum injects digestive enzymes that liquify the insides of the victim. An outer sheath on the rostrum peels back and reveals the maxillae once the victim is paralyzed. This is what the bug uses to drink from the insect. The rostrum is unique in that it acts as a weapon and an eating device.

Defence and Desperate tactics Assassin bugs will do anything to catch prey. They have been known to walk around with their victims on their backs, this is used as camouflage and defence. Assassin bugs don’t just use their own victims for defence, they go looking for carcasses. Oftentimes they go out looking for dead insect carcasses and they hide among them. The dead bugs often attract live bugs from the same species and when those live bugs come, the assassin bug will strike. The assassin may take resin from trees and plants to feed itself if it doesn’t have any prey. It may also take resin from plants in order to attract bees as prey. Assassin bugs, as stated earlier, are general predators and they will use these tactics against anything and everything, including their nymphs. Many nymphs cover themselves in debris in order to avoid getting eaten by larger bugs. They can also use their rostrums as defence mechanisms, they are able to shoot out their deadly enzymes up to an inch out in distance.

Human interactions Assassin bugs are the friend of the gardener. They eat pesky bugs like tomato worms, squash bugs, and aphids (they may have to go through a wall of ants first). Many gardeners use them for pest control as an alternative to pesticides. However, assassin bugs still are dangerous. If you handle them without care, they are likely going to bite you. Their rostrums can easily pierce through human flesh, and their bites are painful and you can feel them right away. If you are wary around any type of assassin bug, make sure it’s the kissing bug. The kissing bug is a type of assassin bug that drinks blood. They tend to bite humans while they’re sleeping on soft tissue areas, like around the eyes and lips. Their poop is the real problem. They tend to poop near the wound, and if their poop gets into your blood, it can cause a deadly disease called chagas. Chagas affects the heart and the disease kills almost 13 million a year. This problem is out of control in South America.

I hope that it’s clear now. Assassin bugs definitely live up to their names.