Masked Hunter Nymph (Camouflage Bug)
Scientific Name: Reduvius personatus
Order & Family: Order: Hemiptera, Family: Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)
Size: Nymphs vary by instar but are typically 5-15 mm; adults can reach up to 17-22 mm.
Natural Habitat
Often found indoors in dusty corners, attics, basements, and behind furniture; also found outdoors in wooded areas or barns.
Diet & Feeding
Predatory; feeds on small arthropods like bed bugs, earwigs, carpet beetles, and woodlice.
Behavior Patterns
The nymphs actively camouflage themselves by covering their sticky bodies with dust, lint, sand, and debris from their environment, making them look like walking dust bunnies.
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: Effective predator of household pests like bed bugs. Risks: Can inflict a very painful bite if handled or threatened, though they are not aggressive towards humans and do not transmit diseases.
Identified on: 3/7/2026