orange assassin bug nymph (pselliopus barberi))
the white with black bands is quite striking
noticed a warning that assassin bugs are venomous, so i started searching up just how venomous and was surprised to read that a 2022 statistic rated assassin bugs as the fifth deadliest animal to humans worldwide, listed after mosquitoes, snakes, dogs and freshwater snails, and responsible for an estimated 12k deaths
but then also read that it's not their bites that usually kill, but rather from a parasite in their feces which causes chagas disease - which, left untreated, can ultimately lead to heart failure
chagas is mostly limited to the southern hemiphere though, so it's not a big concern to get my lens in so close to this snazzy-looking true bug
backyard capture in chesterfield
orange assassin bug nymph (pselliopus barberi))
the white with black bands is quite striking
noticed a warning that assassin bugs are venomous, so i started searching up just how venomous and was surprised to read that a 2022 statistic rated assassin bugs as the fifth deadliest animal to humans worldwide, listed after mosquitoes, snakes, dogs and freshwater snails, and responsible for an estimated 12k deaths
but then also read that it's not their bites that usually kill, but rather from a parasite in their feces which causes chagas disease - which, left untreated, can ultimately lead to heart failure
chagas is mostly limited to the southern hemiphere though, so it's not a big concern to get my lens in so close to this snazzy-looking true bug
backyard capture in chesterfield