View allAll Photos Tagged assassinbug
Assassin bug guarding a petal of a goldenglow blossom. The goldenglow have established enough that their blossoms are above six feet tall. Tall enough for hand held standing on a chair.
There were several of these tiny critters exploring the garden this morning. Shot at 1:1, with 12 mm extension tube.
Zelus longipes, I think.
Found this assassin bug in one of our daylilies between rain showers and storms, had to grab a few photos, all handheld. Some not quite in perfect focus but it's not likely I will see it again. I've seen assassin bugs in the past but never this variety. No ID so far, over 150 varieties. They use that curved, pointed proboscis to stab and inject toxin to kill their prey, thus their name. They then used it to suck out the inside. They will use it to defend themselves, as well, which can be painful to human.
Glad these aren't our size! :-) Would make a great horror film monster.
Members of the genus Pselliopus are small, common assassin bugs with distinct rings around their appendages and along the body. This nymph shows the typical orange color of the genus.
(Source: University of North Carolina Plant Disease and Insect Clinic.)
Remember that dastardly duo I shared with you guys on Monday? Well, an hour and eight minutes later, I was returning up the path and happened to spot this fly - and then realized the scene before me.
What!!
Were they sharing?!
I don't know the story here. Did one of them snag the fly, but the other, on the other side of the fly, only see the fly and go for it, too, not realizing it had already fallen prey?
If they know the other is there, do they care?
If the spider injected venom into the fly, is the ambush bug in trouble?
Such a mystery!
21 Arachtober 2016, 1 of 2
Jagged Ambush Bug, Phymata sp.
and
Northern Crab Spider, Mecaphesa asperata
with
Common Green Bottle Fly, Lucilia sericata
Julie J. Metz Wetlands Bank, Woodbridge, VA
A spectacular sycamore assassin bug nymph that I photographed at Conowingo Dam in Maryland on 10/7/25.
Canon 90D, Canon MPE 65mm macro lens, Canon twin macro flash, aperture f/11, shutter speed 1/250, ISO 400
A top view of a Pale Green Assassin Bug nymph. Photographed at Lake Waterford Park in Maryland on 10/1/22.
Spotted in the hibiscus.
"...Zelus longipes has a diabolically clever strategy for catching its prey. Hiding in foliage with its forelegs outstretched, it awaits the approach of an unsuspecting victim. The front legs of this assassin bug are coated with sticky goo (a technical term) perfect for snaring a victim. Once captured, the prey is impaled with a hungry beak that injects proteolytic enzymes, which predigest the contents of the victim. Once that is accomplished, the liquefied contents of the prey are sucked into the digestive tract of the assassin bug with the aid of a tiny muscular pump in the assassin bug’s head."
bugoftheweek.com/blog/2017/10/24/bugs-in-orange-and-black...
I enjoy finding these guys in the garden - great macro subjects -
And, in the garden, "...The beneficial qualities of assassin bugs far outweigh their negative potential, and learning to get along with these indispensable predators is in our own best interest." (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/beneficials/benefic...)