Assassin bugs, the evil lifesuckers!
Assassin bugs belong to the large Reduviidae family and are, as their name suggests, pretty nasty.
Body characteristics
Their size ranges from half to four centimeters, they have a long head, a narrow neck and a long proboscis they use to feed on unsuspicious prey. Their colors range from green, grey, brown and red or orange. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
The proboscis
The fiercest thing on them is their proboscis, which is curved and "hidden" in a groove in between their front legs. The proboscis is used to sting the prey and releases saliva that first immobilizes and then melts the insides of their victims, turning the poor creatures into a juice the predator then sucks on delightfully. Their strong legs also help these ambush killers hold on to their preys during feeding time. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Their lifecycle
Assassin bugs begin as eggs that hatch into nymphs, which later on, and after several phases of molting, turn into adult insects. They frequent on various types of plants and though they are able to fly, they are not that good at it. Their strong legs also help these ambush killers hold on to their preys during feeding time. They frequent on various types of plants and though they are able to fly, they are not that good at it. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Ouch!
Although they're generally beneficial insects, they will not hesitate to inflict painful stings if feel threatened or poorly handled (@trumpman can verify that). In some cases they may even cause an anaphylactic reaction and medical help is then needed. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
All photos taken by me, @ruth-girl - Not free for re-use
Divider created by me, @ruth-girl via canva.com. Feel free to use it if you like it.
Posted with STEMGeeks - Assassin bugs, the evil lifesuckers!
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