Assassins Lurk

Assassin Bug!

Sinea spinipes (a)

The lab trip to the Peabody Research Station proved to be fruitful. Fiddler crabs, dragonflies, and other great specimens had filled out bags and jars. Despite the great range of critters we collected that day, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. Perhaps it was the fact that I had spent a good portion of the Great Mountain Forest trip searching golden rod plants in vain for the elusive Ambush Bug, or maybe it was the fact that my back had lost a one-sided battle with mosquitos, but I couldn't shake the feeling. On the return hike back to the bus, which took us through the woods and along the side of some railroad tracks, I decided to pause and take a look at the vegetation. I was standing there scratching my numerous bug bites and contemplating where I had gone wrong (in my bug spray technique), when I saw it. Well, not exactly it. My eyes first latched onto a bright orange and black beetle that was resting upon one of the lower hanging branches. When I moved in to take a closer look, I noticed a brown mass sitting closely behind the beetle. I called over Rich, who promptly identified it as a possible Assassin Bug. I had no reason to doubt Rich's identification of the assassin, especially considering that I had seen him take out a dragonfly with deadly accuracy earlier that day (and you know what they say, "takes on to know one"). I happily snatched the two insects up with my kill jar and continued my hike back to the bus, before finally returning to campus.  

In the woods at the Peabody Research Station (Guilford, CT).

This little guy's unusual body layout and camouflage made him difficult to identify at first. Luckily, I followed Rich's advice and sought out guides on Assassin Bugs. I was able to narrow down the specimen to the genus Sinea before finally taking a leap of faith and claiming this bug to be none other than Sinea spinipes, a species native to North America and often found on the edge of wooded habitats. Great, I identified the bug, but what is an Assassin Bug other than an unusual looking insect? 

An interesting specimen found on along the trail in Guilford, Ct., believed to be Sinea spinipes.

Assassin bugs belong to the insect family of Reduviidae, containing over 7000 species of assassin bugs, wheel bugs, and thread-legged bugs, making it one of the largest families in Hemiptera. These hunters use stealth and a lethal saliva to dispatch prey. As nymphs, these guys will actually cover themselves in debris or even the carcasses of other insects in order to conceal themselves. As adults, they continue using camouflage to blend into their surroundings and hunt prey. Once an assassin bug manages to snag a prey-- with the help of special hairs on their forelimbs to keep the meal in place--it will inject lethal saliva. This saliva liquifies the insides of the prey and allows the assassin bug to have a nice drink, so to speak. 

Another one bites the dust! An assassin bug catches a wasp. (b)

So next time you take a stroll through the woods, keep an eye out because an assassin may be lurking near by.

Fun Fact: The lethal saliva of some Reduviid species has been found to have antibacterial properties in humans, including e. coli! 

(a) http://bugguide.net/node/view/335882/bgimage
(b) http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteroptera/2cimi1/reduviidae-rhynocoris-erythropus-foto-zschaler.jpg