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- This page contains pictures and information about Assassin Bugs that
we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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 - Common Assassin Bug and its strong piercing-sucking mouthparts
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- All Assassin bugs are predators. They prey on all small animal such as
snails, insects including caterpillars, spiders and other arthropods.
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- They can
be distinguished from other bugs by their elongated head
and short curved proboscis. All other plant-feeding bugs have their proboscis
flat against under their head when not in use. Assassin Bugs' proboscis
is curved outwards from the head. To catch prey, Assassin Bugs swing their proboscis
forwards to attack.
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  -
- Assassin Bugs feed on their prey by puncturing them with sharp stylets in their
proboscis, then inject saliva which will paralyses the prey, and then suck up the body
fluids. As some other bugs, Assassin Bugs are slow moving. However, their bit
can be painful.
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- The antennae of Assassin Bugs are four segmented and about the same length as
the body. The legs are very long and this extended the longer attack
distance.
Subfamily Harpactorinae - Long legs Assassin Bugs
- Assassin bugs in this subfamily are usually long-legged and hunting on
plants. They usually active during the day time.
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- Common Assassin Bug, Bee Killer
 - Pristhesancus plagipennis, nymph body length 15mm,
adult 20mm
- We found the Nymph Common Assassin Bug when it was chasing a small Flower
Spider on the Hibiscus plants in our backyard in a mid autumn night. We
only saw them once in our backyard. As most Assassin Bugs, it is bright orange in colour with
black legs and long antenna. The adult Common Assassin Bug was found on a oak tree in Wishart in mid-winter.
They have their distinct neck between thorax and head. They are predators of
other small insects and spiders. Most Assassin Bugs
will give a very painful bite, so don't touch them. More information on the Common Assassin Bugs page.
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- Orange Assassin Bug, Red Assassin Bug
 - Gminatus wallengreni or Gminatus australis, body Length 17mm
- This assassin bugs look similar to the Common Assassin Bugs but the colour
is different. The body are orange red in colour with black legs and black wings.
We took the first picture in
Wishart Bushland in early winter. Later in early summer we found a pair of the
Red Assassin Bugs wandering near a Stingless Bee nest. They seem looking for
chances to hunt some bees. More pictures and information please visit this page.
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- Spiny-legs Assassin Bug
  - Scipinia arenacea, body length 15mm
- Although this Red Assassin Bug is small in size, its fore legs is very
strong and spiny. The bug is orange-red in colour with black wings. Its legs
are orange-red too. The picture shows the bug feeding a ladybird larvae on a
Milkweed plant. There is more information about this bug in this page.
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- Ants Killer Assassin Bug
  - ? Catasphactes sp., body length 15mm
- This assassin big is golden yellow in colours with black head and thorax.
Its wings are membrane part of the wings is black. All its legs are also
black. Please check this page for
more information.
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- Small Yellow Assassin Bug
 - ? Catasphactes coprias, body length 10mm
- We found this Assassin Bug once in Karawatha Forest. This Assassin Bug is
relatively small in size. It was resting on leaf. We took off and flied away
after we took to photos.
- Reference:
- 1. coprias Stĺl, 1863 Catasphactes Reduviidae TYPUS
- Swedish
Museum of Natural History, 2007
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- Small Red Assassin Bug
 - ? Catasphactes sp, body length 10mm
- Pictures taken in Anstead Forest Reserve on Feb 2009. The bug was flying
and landed on leaf in front of us. It flied away after we took a few
photos.
 - Reference:
- Trachylestes
aspericollis
Assassin Bug - lifeunseen.com, by Nick Monaghan.
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- Red Tiger Assassin Bug
 - Havinthus rufovarius, adult, nymph, body length 18mm
- We took those pictures in Karawatha Forest on a gum tree trunk during
early October. The Assassin Bug was wandering on the tree trunk. It did not
care very much on our approaching and taking those pictures. The bugs
were red and black, the strong warning colour. As a predator and with strips
on body and legs, we call this bug Red Tiger. More information and pictures
can be found in this page.
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- Long Assassin Bug
 - Australcmena lineativentris, body length
25-30mm
- This assassin bug is long and has slender body. It is brown in colour with
find white patterns on body. Its wings and very long legs are dark brown in
colour. There are the short spins on it thorax. Its has the typical small
and long head with long and curved proboscis. Please visit this page
for more pictures and information.
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Subfamily Peiratinae - Ground Assassin Bugs
- Bugs in this subfamily are usually robust, ground-living and active during
the night. Most are brown or black in colours.
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- Orange Ground Assassin Bug
  - Ectomocoris patricius, female body length
20mm,
- We found this orange and black Assassin Bug running very fast on forest
floor. This bug will bite if handle by bare hand. The insect has very strong
front pair legs. All its legs are orange in colour. Its orange colour body
with black pattern is the standard assassin bug warning colour. This bug can
sometimes be found under loose bark or on ground among plants materials. More
pictures and information please visit this page.
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- Brown Ground Assassin Bug
  - Peirates sp., nymph, body length 16mm
- This bug was found under the fallen bark of a large gum tree during late
summer in Alexandra Hill. Notice its wing-buds, this is the last instars of
winged male adult. Also notice its mouth-parts and strong front legs. Please
also check this page.
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- Black Ground Assassin Bug
 - Peirates punctorius or Pirates flavopictus, body length 15mm
- This ground assassin bug has strong pair of front legs. It is shiny black
in colour. There is the creamy white mark between its thorax and abdomen.
All its legs are black in colour. Please visit this page
for more pictures and information.
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- Red Ground Assassin Bug
 - Ectomocoris or Peirates sp.,, body length 20mm
- This Red Ground Assassin Bug was found on Nov 2007 in Karawatha Forest. It
was hiding under the bark of a burnt Paper Bark Tree trunk.
- The bug is wingless, dark red in colour, with two dull white spots on dark
blue abdomen. The bug was slow moving. Not running fast as other Ground
Assassin Bug. Please check this page
for more information.
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- Red Winged Ground Assassin Bug
 - Ectomocoris or Peirates sp.,, body length 20mm
 - Pictures were taken in Karawatha Forest on Nov 2009. The bug was walking
up on a large stingy-bark gum tree trunk. It hided under the bark when we
came too closely. It looked very similar to the above species expect
winged.
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Subfamily Tegeinae
- There is only one species in this subfamily.
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- Termite Assassin Bug
  - Tegea atropicta, adult body length 18mm, last instars body length 12mm
- In Australia this is the only one member in this subfamily. This Assassin Bug was found in later summer on a
gum tree trunk in Wishart Bushland. This bug is known a specialist predator of
termites which are found on trees or fallen logs. More information and
pictures can be found in this page.
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Subfamily Ectrichodiinae
- Night Killer Assassin Bug
 - Mendola puellula, adult body length 15mm
- Members in this subfamily are active at night, some are predators of
millipedes.
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- Unknown Assassin Bug
 - ? sp., body length 15mm
- The bug in the above pictures has the thinner body. We cannot ID
this assassin bug. Please email
us if you known what it is.
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- We had made many ID mistakes in this page. Dávid Rédei of Hungarian
Natural History Museum kindly sent us emails and corrected most of those
mistakes. Here we would like to thank Dávid again.
- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 494.
- 2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus
& Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p150.
- 3. Checklist for HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA (Coleorrhyncha to Cimicomorpha) - Australian Biological Resources Study
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