Bug Identifier
Pale Assassin Bug
Community identification

Pale Assassin Bug

Zelus luridus

Order & Family
Hemiptera: Reduviidae
Size
12 to 18 mm (approximately 0.5 to 0.7 inches)
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Often found in gardens, on deciduous trees, shrubs, and foliage across North America.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator feeding on aphids, flies, caterpillars, and other soft-bodied insects using its proboscis.

Behavior Patterns

An ambush predator that uses a 'sticky trap' strategy, producing a resin on its legs to help catch prey. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits the ecosystem by controlling garden pests. While not aggressive to humans, they can deliver a painful (though medically insignificant) defensive bite if handled.