Milkweed assassin bug

Natural Habitat

Found in various habitats, including gardens, fields, and woodlands, often on plants where prey are abundant. They prefer sunny areas.

Diet & Feeding

Predatory. They use their strong, piercing-sucking mouthparts to capture and feed on a wide variety of other insects, including aphids, caterpillars, beetles, leafhoppers, and even other assassin bugs. They inject toxins and digestive enzymes to paralyze and liquefy their prey before sucking out the contents.

Behavior Patterns

Assassin bugs are ambush predators that typically wait for prey to come within striking distance. They are often seen slowly moving on plants or motionless, waiting to strike. Zelus longipes sometimes covers its front legs with a sticky resin to better hold onto struggling prey. They are solitary insects.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits: They are highly beneficial insects in gardens and agricultural settings as they help control populations of various pest insects, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Risks: While generally not aggressive towards humans, they can deliver a painful bite if mishandled or threatened. The bite is not venomous or medically significant for most people but can cause temporary localized pain and swelling.

Identified on: 10/21/2025