Hi there,
I am from ON, Canada around an hour east of Toronto. I found this bug on my bed, and I think it might be a masked hunter. If it is, does that mean there is more than one of them? Also, if it’s in my house does it mean there are other bugs in my house that it is hunting? For size reference the plaid squares are around 2cm maybe less. Let me know if you can identify this please!
Thanks,
Anna
Dear Anna,
This is indeed a Masked Hunter, a species of Assassin Bug. Historically, we have received numerous identification requests for Masked Hunters from Canada through the years, generally during the winter months. Masked Hunters are not thought of a indoor insects, however, they seem to have adapted quite well to cohabitating with humans. While we do not want to rule out that there might be more Masked Hunters in your home, we suspect this individual came indoors before the weather turned colder. Despite all our efforts, it is nearly impossible to keep all insects out of the home, so an occasional predator, like a Masked Hunter, should be welcomed as these tiny predators can hunt in places much too small for even the cleanest homemaker to patrol. Thank you for your questions.