Kissing Bug / Assassin Bug / Conenose Bug / Reduviid Bug
Scientific Name: Various species within the Triatominae subfamily, e.g., Triatoma infestans, Rhodnius prolixus, Panstrongylus megistus
Order & Family: Order: Hemiptera, Family: Reduviidae, Subfamily: Triatominae
Size: Typically range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1.2 to 3.8 cm) in length.
Natural Habitat
Kissing bugs are commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. They typically live in crevices of homes (especially in rural areas), under porches, in animal burrows, rock piles, or hollow logs. They are particularly associated with poor housing conditions (e.g., mud walls, thatched roofs) where they can easily hide during the day.
Diet & Feeding
Most species of kissing bugs are hematophagous, meaning they feed on the blood of vertebrates, including humans, mammals (like dogs, cats, rodents), and birds. Some species of assassin bugs, in general, are predatory on other insects.
Behavior Patterns
Kissing bugs are primarily nocturnal. They are attracted to light, carbon dioxide, and body heat, which helps them locate hosts. They typically feed while the host is asleep and will often defecate near the bite site, which is how the Chagas parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) is often transmitted when the host inadvertently rubs the feces into the bite wound, mucous membranes, or other breaks in the skin. They can live for one to two years.
Risks & Benefits
Potential Risk: Kissing bugs are vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease (also known as American trypanosomiasis). Chagas disease can lead to severe cardiac and gastrointestinal problems if left untreated. Transmission usually occurs when bug feces containing the parasite are rubbed into a bite wound or mucous membrane. Benefits: There are no known direct benefits of kissing bugs to humans or the ecosystem, given their role as disease vectors. Other assassin bugs (not the Triatominae subfamily) are beneficial predators of pest insects.
Identified on: 8/26/2025