Assassin-bugs
Guides
Atrachelus
Atrachelus is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, comprising at least two described species: A. cinereus and A. mucosus. The genus is found in the Americas and belongs to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of predatory true bugs. Species in this genus share the general characteristics of harpactorine assassin bugs but specific diagnostic features remain poorly documented in available literature.
Castolus
Castolus is a genus of assassin bugs (family Reduviidae) comprising approximately 16 described species. Members of this genus belong to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of predatory true bugs. The genus was established by Carl Stål in 1858. Like other reduviids, species in this genus are predatory, though specific natural history details for most Castolus species remain poorly documented.
Charadracarinae
Charadracarinae is a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) within the true bugs (Hemiptera). The group is poorly studied and contains few described species. Members are found in arid regions of the Old World, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. The subfamily was established to accommodate genera with distinctive morphological features that separate them from other reduviid subfamilies.
Ctenotrachelus
Ctenotrachelus is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, established by Stål in 1868. The genus comprises more than 20 described species and is classified within the subfamily Stenopodainae. Members of this genus are predatory true bugs that share the general characteristics of reduviid assassin bugs, including raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. The genus has been documented in the Americas, with specific collection records from Florida, USA.
Ectrichodiinae
Millipede Assassin Bugs
Ectrichodiinae are a large subfamily of assassin bugs comprising more than 600 species in approximately 115 genera. They are specialized predators of millipedes, capable of circumventing the noxious chemical defenses of their prey. The subfamily exhibits notable diversity in coloration, with both cryptic and aposematic patterns, including bright metallic blue, red, or yellow and black combinations. Females frequently show wing reduction and extreme sexual dimorphism.
Emesinae
Thread-legged Bugs
Emesinae, commonly known as thread-legged bugs, are a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) distinguished by their exceptionally slender body form. They are predatory insects that walk on their mid and hind legs while using their raptorial front legs to capture prey. The subfamily contains approximately 90 genera and 900 described species, with greatest diversity in tropical regions, particularly Africa. Some groups specialize on spiders as prey. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have questioned the monophyly of Emesinae, suggesting the group may be polyphyletic with respect to Saicinae and Visayanocorinae.
Harpactorinae
Assassin bugs
Harpactorinae is the largest subfamily of Reduviidae (assassin bugs), comprising approximately 300 genera and 2,000 described species worldwide. Members are characterized by diverse predatory strategies, including raptorial forelegs for prey capture and, in some genera, adhesive secretions used as sticky traps. Several genera—notably Zelus, Pselliopus, Sinea, and Apiomerus—have been investigated for biological pest control applications in agricultural systems.
Heza
Heza is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, first described in 1843. The genus contains more than 30 described species distributed throughout the Americas. These insects are predatory true bugs belonging to the subfamily Harpactorinae, one of the most diverse groups within Reduviidae.
Leistarchini
thread-legged bugs
Leistarchini is a tribe of thread-legged bugs within the subfamily Emesinae (family Reduviidae). Members of this group are characterized by their elongated, slender bodies and extremely long, thin legs—adaptations for living in narrow spaces such as spider webs and crevices. The tribe was established by Carl Stål in 1862. These predatory true bugs are part of the diverse assassin bug fauna, though specific biological details for many constituent genera remain poorly documented.
Metapterini
Metapterini is a tribe of thread-legged bugs within the assassin bug subfamily Emesinae (family Reduviidae). Members of this tribe are characterized by their elongated, slender legs and raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. The tribe was established by Carl Stål in 1874 and is distinguished from other Emesinae tribes by specific morphological features of the head and leg structure.
Nomotettix cristatus
crested pygmy grasshopper, crested grouse locust, northern crested grouse locust
Nomotettix cristatus is a small pygmy grasshopper in the family Tetrigidae, commonly known as the crested pygmy grasshopper or crested grouse locust. It is one of approximately 35 Nearctic species of Tetrigidae. The species exhibits three recognized subspecies with distinct geographic distributions across North America. Like other members of its family, it is characterized by an elongated pronotum that extends over the abdomen, a trait distinguishing pygmy grasshoppers from typical grasshoppers in Acrididae.
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Opisthacidius is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Reduviinae. It was established by Berg in 1879 and is native to South America. The genus comprises predatory true bugs that hunt other insects using raptorial forelegs and a piercing-sucking proboscis.
Peiratinae
corsairs, corsair bugs
Peiratinae is a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) commonly known as corsairs. The subfamily has a worldwide distribution with greatest diversity in tropical regions. Approximately 30 genera and 350 species are described, though estimates vary. Members of this subfamily are predatory true bugs. The genus Sirthenea is notable for its cosmopolitan distribution across all continents.
Pseudozelurus
Pseudozelurus is a genus of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) in the subfamily Reduviinae. The genus was established by Lent & Wygodzinsky in 1947 and contains at least two described species: Pseudozelurus arizonicus and Pseudozelurus superbus. As with other reduviids, members of this genus are predatory true bugs.
Rocconota
Rocconota is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae. The genus was established by Stål in 1859 and contains approximately ten described species, primarily distributed in the Neotropical region. Members of this genus are predatory true bugs, consistent with the biology of the Reduviidae family. The genus name is derived from Greek roots referring to its distinctive tuberculate or spiny morphology.
Saicinae
Saicinae is a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) established by Stål in 1859. The subfamily contains approximately 12 recognized genera, including the type genus Saica. One genus, Saicella, has uncertain taxonomic placement with characters intermediate between Saicinae and Emesinae. Members of this subfamily are predatory true bugs within the order Hemiptera.
Zeluroides
Zeluroides is a genus of assassin bugs in the family Reduviidae, established by Lent & Wygodzinsky in 1948. The genus contains at least two described species: Z. americanus and Z. mexicanus. As members of the Reduviinae subfamily, these predatory true bugs possess the raptorial forelegs and piercing-sucking mouthparts characteristic of assassin bugs.
Zelus
sundew assassin bugs, milkweed assassin bugs, leafhopper assassin bugs
Zelus is a genus of assassin bugs (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) containing approximately 60 described species, with the majority distributed in Central and South America and five species occurring in North America. The genus is characterized by a distinctive predatory adaptation: the forelegs bear dense hairs coated with a sticky, glue-like secretion produced by specialized glands, enabling prey capture through adhesion rather than force. This 'sticky trap' strategy has earned them the common name 'sundew assassin bugs,' analogous to the carnivorous sundew plants. The genus includes notable species such as Zelus longipes (milkweed assassin bug), Z. luridus, Z. renardii (leafhopper assassin bug), and Z. tetracanthus.