Bug Identifier
Assassin bug (likely an ambush bug)
Community identification

Assassin bug (likely an ambush bug)

Phymata sp.

Order & Family
Hemiptera; Reduviidae (subfamily Phymatinae)
Size
Usually 8–12 mm long; this specimen appears to be within that range.
See this bug in the Encyclopedia

Natural Habitat

Flowering plants, meadows, gardens, and woodland edges, especially where pollinators visit. They often remain motionless among blossoms.

Diet & Feeding

Predatory; it grabs bees, flies, butterflies, and other insects with raptorial forelegs and sucks out their body fluids.

Behavior Patterns

An ambush predator that relies on camouflage and waits on flowers. Adults mate and reproduce on vegetation; nymphs also hunt small arthropods.

Risks & Benefits

Beneficial as a predator of pest and other insects. It is not aggressive, but handling can produce a painful defensive bite.