Bloodsucking conenose bugs, also known as “kissing bugs,” are insects that feed on the blood of rodents and other wild animals.
These nocturnal creatures can also bite humans, with some individuals developing allergies to their bites.
It’s important to have a basic understanding of these insects, as well as methods to deal with possible infestations, to ensure our safety and well-being around them.
Bloodsucking Conenose Basics
Identification
The Bloodsucking Conenose, also known as the kissing bug, is an insect in the family Reduviidae and subfamily Triatominae. They are typically:
- Brown or black in color
- 0.5 to 0.75 inches long
- Oval-shaped with a cone-like structure on their head
Conenose bugs possess a distinct elongated, cone-shaped head and a dark brown or black body, making them easy to identify.
These insects, which measure about 25 mm long, belong to the wider group of assassin bugs known for their aggressive feeding habits.
They wield a three-segmented, piercing-sucking beak to consume blood from their hosts, typically at night.
Conenose bugs are frequently found near the nests of wild animals, which provide them with an ample food source.
Although they share similarities with bed bugs, conenose bugs can be distinguished by their larger size, darker color, presence of wings in adult stage, and their more oblong shape along with their pointy head.
Their bites can transmit the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can cause Chagas disease.
Classification
The Bloodsucking Conenose is part of the order Hemiptera and suborder Heteroptera, classified as follows:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Suborder: Heteroptera
- Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
- Family: Reduviidae
- Subfamily: Triatominae
- Genus: Triatoma
- Species: Triatoma sanguisuga
These insects are sometimes confused with assassin bugs, which also belong to the same family Reduviidae. However, assassin bugs do not transmit Chagas disease.
| Bloodsucking Conenose | Assassin Bug |
|---|---|
| Transmits Chagas disease | Does not transmit disease |
| Feeds on the blood of mammals | Predatory on other insects |
Remember to handle these insects with care if encountered, as they can potentially transmit diseases.
Lifecycle and Habitats
Life Cycle
The life cycle of the bloodsucking conenose consists of three main stages: eggs, nymphs, and adults.
- Eggs: These are 1.5 mm long, white, and take around 13 to 35 days to hatch1.
- Nymphs: The conenose goes through eight nymphal instars before reaching maturity1.
- Adults: Adult conenoses can live for six months to three years1.
Nests
Bloodsucking conenoses often build nests in the following places:
- Burrows of wild hosts, such as wood rats2
- Tree frogs’ habitat3
- Various places in North, Central, and South America
Habitats
The eastern bloodsucking conenose is common in a range of habitats:
- Found in the southeastern United States4, Texas5, and California6
- Also prevalent in Latin America, including Mexico7 and other parts of South America
Living environments for bloodsucking conenoses include:
- Wooded areas close to their wild hosts
- Near human structures where they can find additional sources of blood
Habitat Summary
| North America | Latin America |
|---|---|
| Southeastern U.S. | Mexico |
| Texas | South America |
| California |
Relationship with Humans and Wildlife
Hosts and Feeding Habits
The eastern bloodsucking conenose, also known as the kissing bug, feeds on the blood of various animals, including:
- Raccoons
- Rats
- Possums
- Dogs
- Humans
These insects are attracted to the warmth and carbon dioxide emitted by their hosts. They usually bite humans around the face, hence the name “kissing bug.”
Their primary vector for disease transmission is through their feces, which can contain the pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi.
Impact on Domestic Animals
Bloodsucking conenoses are not only a nuisance but also a potential health risk.
They are known to transmit Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) to both humans and animals, including dogs.
| Features | Bloodsucking Conenose | Bed Bugs |
|---|---|---|
| Disease transmission | Chagas disease (via feces) | None |
| Hosts | Humans, raccoons, rats, etc. | Mostly humans |
| Feeding time | Nighttime | Nighttime |
| Bites location | Often around the face | Any exposed skin |
Here are some effects of Chagas disease on domestic animals:
- Dogs may show symptoms like fever, lethargy, and swollen lymph nodes
- In severe cases, it can lead to heart failure and even death
Prevention tips:
- Use screens on windows and doors to keep insects out
- Sealing cracks and gaps in dwellings
- Applying caulk around windows and doors
- Using bed nets and insect repellent
- Regularly checking and cleaning pet resting areas
- Maintain cleanliness in the home and surrounding areas
- Contact pest control professionals if infestation is suspected
Remember, early detection and treatment are crucial for managing Chagas disease in both humans and animals.
By understanding the risks and taking preventive measures, we can reduce the impact of bloodsucking conenoses on our lives and wildlife.
Bug Control Recommendation Tool
Footnotes
-
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/URBAN/Triatoma_sanguisuga.htm ↩
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https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Conenose-Kissing-Bugs.aspx ↩
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https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/FactsAboutConenoseBugsinCA.pdf ↩
-
https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/URBAN/Triatoma_sanguisuga.htm ↩
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31 Comments. Leave new
Sounds like you’ve been pretty lucky RG that this guy hasn’t managed to break the skin with its nip. Hope they don’t get more aggressive in future
I’m confused. I thought that both eastern and western blood-sucking conenose bugs could cause Chagas Disease? Do you know if there have ever been any confirmed cases in Florida?
I’m trying to use the FB APIs to post to a fan page, but can only get it to post to my *main* page 🙁 I am very frustrated at this point. So close, yet…
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Unfortunately the head is missing and the front end is a little mashed, but it appears that the front lobe of the pronotum is distinctly longer than the back lobe. Also, the tibia on the first two pairs of legs are expanded. These expansions are spongy suction pads that it uses to grab and hold its prey. These are both features of the Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) subfamily Peiratinae, the Corsairs. I think this is likely an example of a Red-and-black Corsair or Black May Beetle-eater, two common names for what was formerly known as Melanolestes abdominalis. It is now considered a color form of the Black Corsair (M. picipes), the difference being the red on the abdomen. The Bugguide site has photos of a male (http://bugguide.net/node/view/7333/bgimage) and a female (http://bugguide.net/node/view/8145). The females usually have very small and useless wings. And yes, they do have a reputation for biting humans. K
I don’t think this is a Conenose. Kissing Bugs depend on stealth to obtain their blood meals. Their bites are not painful at the outset (although they may cause allergic reactions after some time has passed). To me this resembles a Black Corsair (Melanolestes picipes). See http://bugguide.net/node/view/7332.
Hi my name is Roberto Burgos and i live in chicago il,is possible that this kind of bug can live in this area , and to get the point, my daugther of 12 years old, was bitten by one kind of bug, very close to the picture shown up here,and i’d like to know if this bug is a carrier of the chagas disiease and i have the pictures of this bug and i like to send it to you or post in this site but i don’t know how, please somebody can you help me out? It was night and my daughter was at the park with all the family. Nothing happened till we got back home. The when she was playing with the clay she got bitten. We had the bug in a little jar and we took her to the hospital. We showed the bug to the doctor but when they checked their bug database they said they didn’t recognize it. When it bit her she said that it was as if someone had lit a small flame of fire in the inside of her skin on the area where the bug bit her. We thought nothing of it until we saw what this bug could mean. Also is there a cure as long as it’s been less that a year since she was bit? thank you.
This kissing bug is Triatoma rubida, fairly common in Arizona.
I would agree with Eric that this is probably Dipetalogaster maxima.
This is Triatoma pallidipennis, a member of the phyllosoma complex of the genus.
Definitely a species of Triatoma and in Alabama, almost certainly T. sanguisuga but T. lecticularia cannot be ruled out.
Definitely Melanolestes picipes.
In Oklahoma, it’s extremely likely that this is Triatoma sanguisuga.
American Red Cross screens for Chagas in all donated blood, so that would be one way to determine whether you have the disease. It can resolve itself, it can also lie dormant for a decade or two, then come back and do heart damage. Early treatment is the best defense, and complications of that extent are rare. But we are seeing conenose bugs more and more in California, and they’re not as rare in the Bay Area as they once were. I’m battling a nymph infestation as I write this… (in Marin County)
Thanks for this chilling news Emily.
Yesterday, my wife and I were doing yard work and I felt something crawl my right forearm near my wrist. Later I noticed a swelling of about 2″ long but did not hurt nor itch. I washed it but it is still there. My wife also got bit in 5 different areas with the same result. No itch, just swelling. No direct bite mark either. What do you think? I live in Kelseyville, Ca. at Clearlake California.
We think it is very difficult to identify an insect from a bite, and even more difficult to identify an insect from a description of a bite. We cannot say with any certainty that you and your wife were bitten by a Western Conenose Bug.
This is nothing to fool around with. The Cone Nose bug can cause severe allergic reactions that get worse with each repeated bite. Even though it is relatively unknown, annually more people in California die from reactions from this bug’s bite than from bee stings. My brother-in-law was one of those. Your local County Department of Agriculture has a pamphlet describing the bug and suggestions about how to get rid of it.
I just found one of these today as well! :/ Phoenix Az
looks like a cross between a bedbug and kissing bug….
We were in the jungles outside of Huatusco Mexico and were bitten and made to bleed by an insect in the grass. We they are swollen and itchy 5 days later. Any idea what they could of been and what to watch out for? They were small and black in color. Not a mosquito or a flea. Thank you.
There are so many things in the jungle that might bite, we don’t know where to begin speculation.
it’s a black sucker bug it sucks your blood when your sleeping.
i just killed one to day and i got lots of big bumps blister because of this bug.
it’s a black sucker bug it sucks your blood when your sleeping.
i just killed one to day and i got lots of big bumps blister because of this bug.
It’s not a bed bug.. this is a kissing bug it’s bite last several weeks longer in appearance then the bed bug. The kissing bug is of a light color and it’s bite like a bed bugs at first signs of swelling will show.. but within time the bite looks as a flea bite and/or pimple that has not come to a head.
These bugs are essentially killed by isolation of the infected or host living areas. Then removing one section at a time of infested areas of cloth bedding material that are made of cloth and bagging. Poison after infested area is clean and leave cloth in bag that is tied off.. x y kicks is a good poison
It’s not a bed bug.. this is a kissing bug it’s bite last several weeks longer in appearance then the bed bug. The kissing bug is of a light color and it’s bite like a bed bugs at first signs of swelling will show.. but within time the bite looks as a flea bite and/or pimple that has not come to a head.
These bugs are essentially killed by isolation of the infected or host living areas. Then removing one section at a time of infested areas of cloth bedding material that are made of cloth and bagging. Poison after infested area is clean and leave cloth in bag that is tied off.. x y kicks is a good poison
In the 50’s when at a campfire camp in South Texas we had bugs which we called blood suckers. It is like or part of the kissing bug. I remember what they looked like and looked a lot the same. I was bitten during the night. But didn’t make me sick. My Mom went through all my clothes and bedding before taking them in the house. Are they the same?
That is a very good possibility.
I don’t know in the US, but here in Brazil is the recommendation is always to collect them alive, so they can check in they’re infected with Triatomines or not.
Thanks for that Cesar.
I have nearly died twice from Anaphylactic Shock due to Western Cone-Nose Bug bites. I now take one tablet of Pepcid, and one of Zyrtec about 30 minuets before bed (Set an Alarm!), as they are Histamine 1 & 2 blockers. The Bugs typically bite multiple times in a linear fashion, about 1/2 inch apart. Oddly, the bites hurt when one is awake, but are not felt when sleeping – i have experienced both!