Home / Assassin Bugs: The “Kiss” of Death.

Assassin Bugs: The “Kiss” of Death.

by | Oct 10, 2017 | 2 comments

It’s getting close to Halloween and it’s time to think about scary, creepy and ghoulish things .  The “Assassin Bug” fits the bill .  It’s name stirs up  scary thoughts and its persona is ghoulish.  Here’s why it’s the perfect Halloween bad bug:

assassin-bug-carrying-corpsesThis insect stabs its prey and sucks it dry, then attaches the corpse to its back. Not just one or two at a time, these bugs can carry around huge piles of their enemies (or fast food containers). Although, weighty and really very ghoulish, this behavior acts as a visual and olfactory camouflage as well as providing highly effective body armor.

 

Brings to mind the Brain Bug from Starship Troopers drinking a guy’s brains.  Yuck!!

There are about 7,000 species of assassin bugs in the kissing-bug-rhodnius_prolixus70-300world and while they can deliver a painful bite, assassin bugs are usually no threat to mankind. Then there’s the exception: the blood-sucking kissing bugs, aptly named because they bite humans painlessly on the face and around the mouth while they sleep.  (They are attracted to the carbon dioxide exhaled while breathing.) Problems occur when they defecate in the process, leaving protozoans from their feces in the wound, leading to chronic heart, digestive and neurological problems. Chagas disease, is a serious problem in South America, and infections may be on the upswing in the United States. 

For  more information on Chagas disease and other important pest topics watch the Corky’s Pest Control’s  “Pest News Minute”.

 

Just a couple of examples of these creepy creatures.

Wheel Bug   assassin-bug-wheel-bug-eating

 

assassin-bug-spiney-red Spiney Assassin Bug

 

 

 

war-bug-star-ship-troopers

 

War Bug from Starship Troopers

Scarey but not as scary as the real ASSASSINS.

 

Kissing Bug picture: By Dr. Erwin Huebner, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

2 Comments

  1. Nathanial Rippetoe

    Hey there! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to give it a look. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Terrific blog and superb design and style.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Post

California Gophers: Friend or Foe?

California gophers are rodents with a surprising talent for digging. Their bodies are long and slender, perfectly built for navigating underground tunnels. These little burrowers come in shades of brown or gray, with fur so fine and short it repels wet soil as they...

Understanding Bed Bugs in California

Bed bugs might be silently infiltrating your household, launching nightly attacks on your family. Their bites are irritating and often catch you off guard. By learning about their feeding patterns, mating habits, and general behaviors, you'll be better equipped to...

Understanding Bees in California

For most Californians, bees aren't a serious threat. But these tiny flying insects can be a nuisance if they start building their homes near you. Learning to recognize different types of bees can help you understand which bees to avoid, their common habits, and the...

Pollinators, Can’t Live Without Them!

It’s true, we can’t live without pollinators, and they can’t live without our help. The most common pollinators are insects, including bees, wasps,  butterflies, moths, flies and beetles. But these are not the only ones. There are about 1500 species of vertebrates,...

Pest Control | Bid Farewell to Unwanted Visitors.

Do you think pest control are disturbing? They are dangerous too. Don’t believe it? The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, Disease may be propagated or induced by pests like vectors, other insects, rodents, or microorganisms, which can cause severe, even...