Assassin Bugs
Description
Assassin bugs are named for their long proboscis which they use to impale other animals from ambush.
There are many species of assassin bugs, and it’s difficult for a layperson to identify them confidently because they change shape and color in different life stages (this is true of many insect groups). For a long time, I was unsure if I was seeing multiple species of assassin bugs, but I was fortunate in spring 2022 to get shots of groups of milkweed assassin bugs in a variety of stages of growth.
By comparing specimens in the imago (adult) stage and at different ages in the nymph stage side-by-side, it becomes apparent that these are all the same species. Notice the black wings beginning to form on some of the older nymphs. As it turns out, most of the assassin bugs I have seen are all various morphs of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longpipes Linnaeus. These creatures roughly triple in size of the course of their nymphal stage.
Species
- Zelus longpipes Linnaeus (11 images)
Zelus longpipes Linnaeus
"Milkweed Assassin Bug"
Description
Primary color is orange, dark orange, reddish-orange, or deep red. Has long, uniformly black legs. Appears hairless, but very small white "hairs" can be seen over the body and legs. Several columns of white dots line the body as the nymph matures. Wings are uniformly black. Long proboscis, tucked underneath body, is uniformly black.
Notes
Named for its resemblance to the milkweed bug. Widely found from the southern US to South America. Rather than a pest, this insect is known to predate on agricultural pest species and is considered beneficial.
Videos of Milkweed Assassin Bug
Images of Milkweed Assassin Bug
