Subject: Unknown bug
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
December 14, 2012 3:17 pm
I was in the shower and when soap had run to my ankle I felt a sharp sting. At first i thought it was a cut, then i looked down and saw the bug… Ive shown several science teachers and posted it elsewhere on the internet but no one seems to know what it is. Can you help me figure it out? Thanks!
Signature: -Erin C
Assassin Bug Nymph
Hi Erin,
This is the immature nymph of an Assassin Bug in the genus Zelus. Assassin Bugs are predators with mouths designed to pierce and suck. Most Assassin Bugs prey upon other insects, but a few species do prey upon warm blooded hosts, including humans. Though this ZelusAssassin Bug did not get a meal from biting you, members of the genus frequently bite humans they accidentally encounter or if they are carelessly handled. The effects of the bite will wear off and there will not be any lasting effects.
Bite of an Assassin Bug
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Probably a nymph of Zelus luridus.