Masked Hunter Nymph (Dust Bug)

Scientific Name: Reduvius personatus

Order & Family: Hemiptera (True Bugs), Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)

Size: Nymphs are typically 5 to 13 mm (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long, though the dust coating makes exact measurement difficult.

Natural Habitat

Often found indoors in homes, attics, or crawlspaces where dust accumulates; naturally occurs in dry areas with sandy soil or rock crevices.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator feeding on other small insects and arthropods such as bed bugs, earwigs, silverfish, and flies.

Behavior Patterns

Nymphs possess sticky hairs (trichomes) on their bodies that collect dust, lint, and debris as camouflage (hence the name 'Masked Hunter'). They are generally nocturnal ambush predators.

Risks & Benefits

Generally beneficial as they eat household pests. However, they can inflict a painful bite if handled or threatened, comparable to a bee sting, though they do not transmit diseases.

Identified on: 3/2/2026