Assassin bug

Assassin bug; Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous–Recent
	Assassin bug (Rhynocoris iracundus) with bee prey
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Infraorder:	Cimicomorpha
Family:	Reduviidae; Latreille, 1807

Assassin bugs are the Reduviidae. They are a large cosmopolitan family of "true bugs" or Hemiptera.

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 camouflaged with debris, Australia.

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.

[1] There are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae.

[isbn1-86872-713-0-2] Weaving, Alan; Picker, Mike; Griffiths, Charles Llewellyn (2003). Field Guide to Insects of South Africa. New Holland Publishers, Ltd. ISBN 1-86872-713-0.

[1]

[2]