Author: Chirstina Silliman, Masters student, University of Illinois.
For their small size, there are many insects that can do humans quite a bit of harm or, at the very least, bug us. We know to steer clear of wasps, ants, mosquitos, ticks, and when they menacingly head our way. What you may not know is that the insects themselves have quite a bit to watch out for as well! Not only are predators like spiders or frogs waiting to gobble up a passing fly, but there are other insects just waiting to grab up their own tasty meal. One of the most interesting (and overlooked) insects is the assassin bug.
An assassin bug drains it's prey
As its name suggests this group does not snatch up every passing insect, nor does it hire itself out to underworld criminals. Instead, it waits patiently on a leaf or sturdy flower for the perfect meal. If something tempting flies or, more conveniently, crawls by, the assassin bug will raise its front legs in a ready stance. When the passerby is least expecting it, the assassin bug will snatch it up using its lightning-fast legs and then swiftly and deftly skewer the prey with its beak. The beak (technical term: rostrum) creates an insect shish-kabob and serves the secondary purpose of injecting a dose of lethal saliva that liquefies the insides of its prey. The assassin bug then sucks up its delicious meal of pureed bug.
While most species of assassin bugs snuff out insects like beetles, caterpillars, crickets, bees, and flies they are not afraid to feed on prey significantly larger than themselves. In fact, one species of assassin bugs has been given the name ‘kissing bugs’ for their propensity to take a blood-meal from sleeping humans, feeding primarily near the mouth and eye areas. One cave-dwelling species in Central America actually feeds on the blood of vampire bats (how ironic!)
If that isn’t scary enough, another species of assassin bug can use tools to entice food to crawl their way. A Neotropical assassin bug, Salyavata variegata uses the carcasses of freshly killed termites to lure worker termites their way. The workers think that they are grabbing a fallen comrade and instead get eaten themselves!
The next time you are walking through the woods (or happen to find yourself in one of those caves) be sure to keep an eye out. There are a few assassins on the loose….
Citation: MCMAHAN, EA. “ADAPTATIONS, FEEDING PREFERENCES, AND BIOMETRICS OF A TERMITE-BAITING ASSASSIN BUG (HEMIPTERA, REDUVIIDAE).” Annals of the Entomological Society of America 76.3 (1983):483-486.
