| Photo Information |
Copyright: Enio Branco (Brutamonte)
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 14 W: 0 N: 63]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-g.gif) (769) |
| Genre: Animals |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2008-09-17 |
| Categories: Insects |
| Camera: Sony W50 |
| Details: Tripod: Yes |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2008-09-18 9:02 |
| Viewed: 323 |
| Points: 0 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note [Portuguese] |
A colorful young Assassin Bug
Reduviidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reduviidae is a large, cosmopolitan family of predatory insects in the suborder Heteroptera. It includes assassin bugs (genera include Melanolestes, Psellipus, Rasahus, Reduvius, Rhiginia, Sinea, Triatoma, and Zelus), wheel bugs (Arilus cristatus), ambush bugs (genera include Apiomerus and Phymata), and thread-legged bugs (the subfamily Emesinae, including the genus Emesaya). There are about 7000 species altogether, making it one of the largest families in the Hemiptera.
Physical characteristics
Milkweed Assassin BugAdult insects often range from 4 to 40 mm. They most commonly have an elongated head with a distinct narrowed neck, long legs, and a prominent, segmented "beak" (proboscis). Most species are dark in color with hues of brown, black, red, or orange. The most distinctive feature of the family is that the tip of the proboscis fits into a groove in the prosternum, where it is rasped against ridges there (a stridulitrum) to produce sound
Feeding
They use the long proboscis to inject a lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey, which are then sucked out. The legs of some of these bugs are covered in tiny hairs that serve to make them sticky to hold onto their prey while they feed. The saliva is commonly effective at killing substantially larger prey than the bug itself. As nymphs, some species will cover and camouflage themselves with debris, or the remains of dead prey insects. Some species have been known to feed on cockroaches or bedbugs (in the case of the masked hunter) and are regarded in many locations as beneficial. Some people breed them as pets and for insect control. |
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