Reduviidae
Guides
Rhynocoris ventralis annulipes
Rhynocoris ventralis annulipes is a subspecies of assassin bug described by Van Duzee in 1914. It is currently considered a synonym of Rhynocoris ventralis. The taxon belongs to the family Reduviidae, a diverse group of predatory true bugs commonly known as assassin bugs. Members of this genus are recognized for their raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey.
Rhynocoris ventralis ventralis
Rhynocoris ventralis ventralis is a subspecies of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, originally described by Thomas Say in 1832. The taxon is currently recognized as a synonym within the genus Rhynocoris, which comprises predatory true bugs. The species Rhynocoris ventralis belongs to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of reduviids characterized by raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. This subspecies designation represents one of the infraspecific forms described within the broader R. ventralis complex.
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.
Rocconota annulicornis
Ring-horned Assassin Bug
Rocconota annulicornis, commonly known as the Ring-horned Assassin Bug, is a species of predatory true bug in the family Reduviidae. It is distributed across North and Central America. The species belongs to the subfamily Harpactorinae, a diverse group of assassin bugs characterized by raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. The specific epithet 'annulicornis' refers to ringed or banded antennae, a distinctive feature of this species.
Saica elkinsi
Saica elkinsi is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Blinn in 1994. It is native to North America and belongs to the subfamily Saicinae, a group characterized by raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. Members of the genus Saica are slender, long-legged predators found in tropical and subtropical habitats.
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.
Sinea complexa
Sinea complexa is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Caudell in 1900. It was long confused with the eastern species Sinea incognita, which was described as new in 2015 based on morphological differences in the front leg femora. The species occurs in western and southwestern North America and Mexico. Like other Sinea species, it is a predatory insect that likely feeds on other arthropods.
Sinea incognita
Sinea incognita is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, described in 2015 after being misidentified as Sinea complexa for over a century. It occurs in the eastern and central United States, from Maryland south to Georgia and west to Kansas and Texas. The species was discovered when specimens from New Mexico failed to match identification keys developed for midwestern Sinea species.
Sinea integra
Sinea integra is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Stål in 1862. It occurs from Arizona and Texas south through Mexico to at least Guatemala and Honduras. The species can be distinguished from close relatives S. complexa and S. incognita by the shape of the femur on its front legs, which is nearly uniform in thickness—described as resembling a stickball bat—rather than club-shaped or baseball bat-shaped. It is a predatory insect, though specific prey records remain limited.
Sinea rileyi
Sinea rileyi is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. It has been documented in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America. Like other members of the genus Sinea, it is a predatory true bug. Beyond its geographic distribution, specific details about its biology and ecology remain poorly documented in available literature.
Stenolemoides arizonensis
Stenolemoides arizonensis is a thread-legged assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Emesinae. It belongs to the tribe Emesini, which comprises slender, elongate predatory true bugs adapted for hunting in confined spaces. The species was originally described by Nathan Banks in 1909 as Luteva arizonensis and later transferred to the genus Stenolemoides. Like other emesine assassin bugs, it possesses raptorial forelegs modified for capturing prey and an elongated body form associated with its predatory lifestyle.
Stenolemus spiniventris
Stenolemus spiniventris is a thread-legged bug in the assassin bug family Reduviidae, first described by Signoret in 1858. It belongs to the subfamily Emesinae, characterized by extremely slender, elongate legs and body form. The species occurs in Central America and North America, though detailed natural history information remains limited in published sources.
Stenopoda spinulosa
Stenopoda spinulosa is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Stenopodainae. It was described by Giacchi in 1969. The species belongs to the genus Stenopoda, a group of predatory true bugs characterized by their raptorial forelegs adapted for capturing prey. Like other reduviids, it possesses a curved rostrum used to inject venom into prey.
Stenopodainae
Stenopodainae is a subfamily of assassin bugs (Reduviidae) containing approximately 113 genera and ~770 species worldwide. Members are predominantly tropical, with many species associated with soil or sand substrates. The subfamily is characterized by distinctive morphological features including prominent mandibular plates and a modified antennal structure. Many species exhibit wing reduction (aptery) and cryptic coloration. Some species have been observed to use plant-derived resin on their forelegs to aid in prey capture.
Tagalis inornata
Tagalis inornata is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Saicinae. It occurs across a broad geographic range spanning the Caribbean, Middle America, North America, and South America. The species was first described by Stål in 1860. Like other reduviids, it is a predatory true bug, though specific details of its biology remain poorly documented in the available literature.
Triatoma indictiva
kissing bug
Triatoma indictiva is a blood-sucking assassin bug in the subfamily Triatominae, commonly known as a "kissing bug." It is a documented vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. The species occurs in Mexico and the southern United States, particularly Arizona and Texas. Adults measure 20–30 mm in length and are characterized by a pear-shaped body, black coloration with red lateral markings, and a tapered proboscis. Like other triatomines, it is primarily associated with vertebrate hosts in natural and peridomestic habitats.
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.
Zelus janus
Two-faced Assassin
Zelus janus is a species of assassin bug in the genus Zelus, first described by Stål in 1862. Like other members of this genus, it possesses the characteristic 'sundew' predatory adaptation: specialized glands on the forelegs secrete a sticky substance that traps prey. The species name references the Roman two-faced god Janus, though the specific reason for this epithet is not documented in available sources. It is one of approximately 71 species in the genus Zelus, which is distributed primarily in the Americas.
Zelus longipes
milkweed assassin bug, sundew assassin bug
Zelus longipes is a medium-sized assassin bug (Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) distributed across the southern United States, Central America, and South America (excluding Chile). The species is notable for its bright red and black coloration and its unique prey-capture strategy using sticky secretions on the forelegs—an adaptation that inspired the common name "sundew assassin bug." It has been evaluated as a potential biocontrol agent for agricultural pests including fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), picture-winged flies (Ulidiidae), and Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri), though its generalist predatory habits and documented attacks on beneficial insects such as honey bees and parasitoid wasps complicate its practical application.
Zelus nugax
Zelus nugax is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae, first described by Stål in 1862. As a member of the genus Zelus, it possesses the characteristic sticky forelegs used to capture prey, a trait that has earned these insects the common name 'sundew assassin bugs.' The species is distributed across the Americas, with records from the Caribbean, Middle America, North America, and South America. Like other Zelus species, it is a predatory insect that feeds on other small arthropods.