
Community identification
Masked Hunter Nymph
Reduvius personatus
- Order & Family
- Order: Hemiptera, Family: Reduviidae
- Size
- Nymphs grow to about 22 mm (0.87 inches)
Natural Habitat
Typically found inside buildings, barns, and crevices where their prey resides
Diet & Feeding
Insectivorous, feeding on bed bugs, flies, moths, and other small arthropods
Behavior Patterns
The nymph covers its sticky body with dust, sand, or lint as camouflage; it is primarily nocturnal and a skilled hunter
Risks & Benefits
Benefits include biological control of pests like bed bugs; however, they can deliver a painful bite to humans if handled or provoked