Assassin Bugs
One large family of these bugs (the Reduviidae) are predatory and feed on the body
juices of other animals, mainly other insects. These are called assassin bugs because of their habit of hiding in ambush for their prey. The rostrum of an ordinary plant-feeding bug is tucked
flat against the underside of the head, but that of an assassin bug is curved outwards from the head. This is a very useful feature by which to identify predatory bugs. They are able to swing their rostrum forwards as they catch and pierce their prey. Once the prey is held and punctured, a salivary secretion is pumped into a canal running down between the fine stylets. This secretion immobilises the prey and dissolves its internal tissues into a pre-digested ‘soup’ that the
assassin bug can then suck up. At the end of the meal, all that is left of the prey is a dry, empty shell.
The common Assassin Bug
Assassin bugs are widely distributed throughout Australia. The common species responsible for bites in coastal Queensland is Pristhesancus plagipennis. It can be found in most urban gardens,
where it lurks among the foliage. It is sometimes called the ‘beekiller’, because a favourite food is the honey bee, but it will feed on any insect it can catch. The one illustrated is about to impale a
small jewel beetle with its rostrum.
Adults of P. plagipennis are 25-30 mm long and yellowish brown. The females lay clusters of long, reddish eggs attached by their ends to twigs. From these eggs hatch tiny spider-like babies with red bodies and black legs. They are sometimes confused with Redbacked
Spiders but they have only six legs, not eight. As they grow and moult they become a speckled colour. Eventually they reach full size and moult into the plain brown adult.
One large family of these bugs (the Reduviidae) are predatory and feed on the body
juices of other animals, mainly other insects. These are called assassin bugs because of their habit of hiding in ambush for their prey. The rostrum of an ordinary plant-feeding bug is tuckedflat against the underside of the head, but that of an assassin bug is curved outwards from the head. This is a very useful feature by which to identify predatory bugs. They are able to swing their rostrum forwards as they catch and pierce their prey. Once the prey is held and punctured, a salivary secretion is pumped into a canal running down between the fine stylets. This secretion immobilises the prey and dissolves its internal tissues into a pre-digested ‘soup’ that the
assassin bug can then suck up. At the end of the meal, all that is left of the prey is a dry, empty shell.
The common Assassin Bug
Assassin bugs are widely distributed throughout Australia. The common species responsible for bites in coastal Queensland is Pristhesancus plagipennis. It can be found in most urban gardens,
where it lurks among the foliage. It is sometimes called the ‘beekiller’, because a favourite food is the honey bee, but it will feed on any insect it can catch. The one illustrated is about to impale a
small jewel beetle with its rostrum.
Adults of P. plagipennis are 25-30 mm long and yellowish brown. The females lay clusters of long, reddish eggs attached by their ends to twigs. From these eggs hatch tiny spider-like babies with red bodies and black legs. They are sometimes confused with Redbacked
Spiders but they have only six legs, not eight. As they grow and moult they become a speckled colour. Eventually they reach full size and moult into the plain brown adult.
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