Milkweed Assassin Bug - (Zelus longipes)

Milkweed Assassin Bugs mimic the abundant herbivore, Large Milkweed Bug, adding another advantage to its mode of food-hunting.

Staff Writer (8/2/2017): Milkweed Assassin Bugs are red and black in almost the same places as Large Milkweed Bugs. This makes it easier to walk among prey. Large Milkweed Bugs eat seeds and plant stems, leaving other insects alone. Mimicking such a 'friendly' bug allows the Milkweed Assassin to tread closer to unsuspecting prey. Assassin Bugs in general are just that: assassins. They quickly attack an insect and repeatedly stab it with a large fang. This fang kills the insect allowing the Milkweed Assassin to feed on its insides. This same fang is also able to stab people, inflicting a very painful wound that eventually heals.

Look for Milkweed Assassin Bugs on milkweed plants as well as flowers.

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Details of the:
Milkweed Assassin Bug

Category: True Bug
Common name: Milkweed Assassin Bug
Scientific Name: Zelus longipes
Other Names: Long-legged Assassin Bug

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hemiptera

Family: Reduviidae

Genus: Zelus

Species: longipes

Size (Adult, Length): 14mm to 20mm (0.55in to 0.79in)

Identifying Colors: red, black

Additional Descriptors: beneficial, painful, biting, fang, flying, predator

North American Reach (Though Not Limited To*): Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; Delaware; Florida; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Louisiana; Maine; Maryland; Massachusetts; Michigan; Minnesota; Mississippi; Missouri; Nebraska;New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; North Dakota; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; South Dakota; Tennessee; Texas; Vermont; Virginia; West Virginia; Wisconsin; British Columbia; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Ontario; Prince Edward Island; Quebec; Mexico

* Keep in mind that an insect's reach is not limited by lines on a map and therefore may appear in areas/regions/states beyond those listed above.

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