Repulsive

We are quite familiar with assassin bugs in Australia and it was interesting to find the babies of the American version on our walk today.

The Reduviidae are a large cosmopolitan family of the order of "true bugs" or Hemiptera. They are slightly unusual among the Hemiptera because almost all are terrestrial ambush predators.

The main examples of non-predatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking members in the subfamily Triatominae. Though there are spectacular exceptions, most members of the family are fairly easily recognisable: they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build and formidable curved proboscis.

Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.

This is an ugly bunch of red assassin bug babies, but life has to go on. They do eat other insects that we are not so keen on, such as flies.