assassin bug

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Member of a family of blood-sucking bugs that contains about 4,000 species. Assassin bugs are mainly predators, feeding on other insects, but some species feed on birds and mammals, including humans. They are found, mainly in tropical regions, although some have established themselves in Europe and North America.

Classification
Assassin bugs are in the family Reduviidae, suborder Heteroptera, order Hemiptera (true bugs), class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda.

The general characteristics of the family include bright coloration, a long four-segmented antenna, and a cone-shaped proboscis which, when the insect is not feeding, is folded under the head. Because of this they are sometimes called cone-nosed bugs.

Species
Reduvius personatus is about 15 mm/0.5 in long and dark brown. In the wild it inhabits hollow trees where it feeds on the blood of other insects. It can invade houses, where it hides in holes and crevices in the wall. Like other assassin bugs, it is nocturnal, emerging at night to feed on bedbugs and other insects. It is widely distributed in Europe and North America.

Kissing bugs comprise several Central and South American genera that have earned their name from their habit of biting sleeping people on the face. Rhodnius, Triatoma, and Panstrongylus, are vectors for the parasite that causes Chagas's disease.

Blue stands for the Pacific Ocean. The yellow stripe represents the Equator. The points of the star symbolize the island's 12 original tribes. Effective date: 31 January 1968. >>