Young assassin bugs are often ant mimics. This is a first-instar wheel bug, Arilus cristatus.

Urbana, Illinois, USA
This assassin bug nymph (Reduviidae: Emesinae) hunts spiders in their webs.

Armenia, Belize
Assassin bug nymph (Reduviidae: Emesinae)

Armenia, Belize
Triatoma sanguisuga, the eastern bloodsucking conenose.

Gray Summit, Missouri, USA
The friendly face of Triatoma sanguisuga, the eastern bloodsucking conenose, showing  the three-segmented beak it uses to bleed its victims.

Gray Summit, Missouri, USA
Triatoma sanguisuga, the eastern bloodsucking conenose, with a dime for scale.

Gray Summit, Missouri, USA
A tiny frit fly (Chloropidae: Conioscinella) steals a bit of hemolymph from the kill of an assassin bug (Reduviidae: Sinea).

East Brooklyn, Illinois, USA
Frit flies (Chloropidae: Conioscinella) steal hemolymph from the kill of a spined assassin bug (Reduviidae: Sinea).

East Brooklyn, Illinois, USA
Triatoma sanguisuga, the eastern bloodsucking conenose.

Gray Summit, Missouri, USA
A tiny frit fly (Chloropidae: Conioscinella) steals a bit of hemolymph from the kill of an assassin bug (Reduviidae: Sinea).

East Brooklyn, Illinois, USA
A tiny frit fly (Chloropidae: Conioscinella) steals a bit of hemolymph from the kill of an assassin bug (Reduviidae: Sinea).

East Brooklyn, Illinois, USA
A tiny frit fly (Chloropidae: Conioscinella) steals a bit of hemolymph from the kill of an assassin bug (Reduviidae: Sinea).

East Brooklyn, Illinois, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013