Systelloderes
Systelloderes unique-headed bug (Enicocephalidae) Urbana, Illinois, USA
Systelloderes unique-headed bug (Enicocephalidae). Insects in this ancient lineage diverged from other Heteroptera prior to the evolution of the half-sclerotized wing that marks the rest of the group. Thus, enicocephalid wings are fully membranous. Urbana, Illinois, USA
Abedus
A male Abedus water bug carries hatched and hatching eggs on his back. Stebbins Reserve, California, USA
Lethocerus
Lethocerus water bugs are predaceous insects over an inch long. California, USA.
Belostoma
Belostoma sp. giant water bug. Lake Glendale, Illinois, USA
Microvelia
Riffle bugs are small relatives of water striders that share the same water surface habitat. Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station, Texas, USA.
Triatoma sanguisuga
Triatoma sanguisuga, the eastern bloodsucking conenose, with a dime for scale. Gray Summit, Missouri, USA
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
Zelus renardii
A small assassin bug feeds on a sweat bee it has caught. Austin, Texas, USA.
Zelus longipes
The Milkweed Assassin Bug, a predatory insect, has converged on the same aposematic black and orange coloration of many milkweed-feeding species. Austin, Texas, USA.
A hover fly falls prey to a milkweed assassin bug. Austin, Texas, USA.
A mating tangle of milkweed assassin bugs, with the larger female feeding on a sweat bee, paired with a male, while a third male jockeys for position. Austin, Texas, USA.
Cannibalism among milkweed assassin bugs. This large adult assassin has killed a younger conspecific. Austin, Texas, USA.
Zelus luridus
Red "knees" and small, upturned shoulder spikes help identify this assassin bug as Zelus luridus. Austin, Texas, USA.
Assassin bug. Austin, Texas, USA.
Zelus tetracanthus
Assassin bugs are sit-and-wait predators. This Zelus tetracanthus arrived at a blacklight insect trap and intercepted incoming prey, in this case a male trap-jaw ant. Arizona, USA. filename: Zelus1
Assassin bugs are sit-and-wait predators. This Zelus arrived at a blacklight insect trap and intercepted incoming prey, in this case a male trap-jaw ant. Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Gminatus australis
Australia's orange assassin is one of the more common predatory insects in southern Australia. Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia.
An orange assassin bug lurks in a Bursaria inflorescence to capture unsuspecting nectar- and pollen-feeding visitors. Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia.
Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia.
