Animal Species:Feather-legged Assassin Bug
Assassin bugs are a large family of bugs that are found everywhere in Australia.The Feather-legged Assassin Bug is a specialist predator of ants.
Feather-legged Assassin Bug feeding
M Bulbert
© Australian Museum
Size range
1 cm
Distribution
The Feather-legged Assassin Bug is found in eastern Australia.
Habitat
The Feather-legged Assassin Bug lives in urban areas, coastal heath, forests and woodlands.
Feeding and Diet
Unlike most bugs which feed on plant juices, assassin bugs are predators. They ambush their prey, usually other insects such as beetles or caterpillars, piercing them with their curved mouthparts (rostrum). Once the prey has been punctured and is held fast, the assassin injects a powerful saliva. This fluid immobilises the prey and dissolves its tissues.
Other behaviours and adaptations
The Feather-legged Assassin Bug is a specialist predator of ants. They are found under the bark of eucalyptus trees. They position themselves somewhere on an ant trail with their long legs raised. This exposes a gland which produces a scent attractive to ants. When an ant investigates the gland and tastes the substance coming from it, it is the last thing it will do. The substance paralyses the inquisitive victim and the bug drives its rostrum into the ant. When the bug's digestive saliva juices have done their job, the ant is sucked dry.
Classification
- Species:
- femoralis
- Genus:
- Ptilocnemis
- Family:
- Reduviidae
- Superfamily:
- Reduvioidea
- Infraorder:
- Cimicomorpha
- Suborder:
- Heteroptera
- Order:
- Hemiptera
- Class:
- Insecta
- Subphylum:
- Uniramia
- Phylum:
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
Last Updated:
Tags bugs, insects, arthropods, invertebrates, identification, wildlife of sydney,
4 comments
Hi Scott
They also probably have an identity crisis! It is a spider wasp (Family Pompilidae), and it will be a she, not a he. They stock their nests with paralysed spiders, which act as live food storage for the developing wasp larvae.
Most ant predators or parasites rely on two mechanisms to avoid becoming prey themselves. One is to use mechanical protection (armour-plating, long setae, scales), and the other is to use various chemical deceptions. I suspect chemicals are used in this case. Matthew Bulbert has been studying these insects at Macquarie University, and may be able to give you more information about their behaviour.