Assassin Bug - Blog Posts
Spiny Assassin Bug (Sinea spinipes), taken May 5, 2025, in Georgia, US
Spiny, indeed! Look at those legs! The nymphs of this species are mostly black with a yellow abdomen, quite different from the brown camouflage of adults. If you're not looking closely, adults can be overlooked at a brown spot on leaves or part of tree bark. They're quite good at what they do! I usually only find nymphs, so finding this adult hiding in the leaves was a nice treat!
Scarlet-bordered Assassin Bug (Rhiginia cruciata), taken April 25, 2025, in Georgia, US
A bit of an interesting lifer! I've been seeing these guys flying around me, but they either would never land or would spook too fast to get a good look. Fortunately, this guy landed right in front of me and politely stood still while I did my best to get pictures as the sun glared onto my camera display and made it impossible to tell if my image was in focus or not (horrific). This species is part of a subfamily referred to as millipede assassin bugs which, as the name would imply, exclusively prey on millipedes. They have evolved to specialize in hunting millipedes, possessing unique venom, mouthparts, and other physical features that allow them an advantage over other predators when hunting them. They're quite interesting, and may be the culprits of some millipede husks you find while digging through leaflitter!
Pale Green Assassin Bug (Zelus luridus), taken April 20, 2025, in Georgia, US
Behold: an adept assassin! This is the earliest I've seen an adult of this species—usually I only find nymphs until around July. Whether that's because there are less adults or because they're too good at camouflage I do not know! Assassin bugs move slowly and strike their prey with their proboscis, injecting paralyzing venom and sucking the juices out of their prey, similarly to spiders. Because they have venom, their "bites" can be quite painful, but are generally harmless and quite rare. I can't imagine they're any more likely to bite than spiders, and I handle spiders safely regularly, so I'd say they're safe to hold as long as you're respectful!