Assassin Bug

The Reduviidae, or assassin bugs, are a large cosmopolitan family in the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera. Along with the related Nabidae, almost all species are terrestrial ambush predators, unlike most other predatory Hemiptera, which are aquatic. Most members of the family are recognizable by a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build and a formidable curved proboscis, and large specimens should be handled with caution because they can defend themselves with a painful stab from it. The main non-predatory members of the family are blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae, a few of which are noted for transmitting Chagas disease.