You Can’t Unsee the Assassin Bug’s Dirty Work | Deep Look

Under the bright yellow petals of a tarweed plant, an insect known as the assassin bug kills its caterpillar victim by stabbing it over and over. But does this perpetrator have an accomplice? Sticky droplets all over the plant could be a clue. SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! Please join our community on Patreon! --- Why is an assassin bug called an assassin bug? Likely because it impales its insect and arachnid victims with its pointy mouthparts. --- Is an assassin bug the same thing as a kissing bug? No. Assassin bugs and kissing bugs are relatives, but they’re different from each other. They’re both part of a large family of insects called reduviids, known as the “assassin bug” family, hence part of the confusion. Kissing bugs and assassin bugs look similar to each other in that they have long mouthparts that they keep folded under their head when they’re not using them. But they’re different from each other in their feeding habits. Assassin bugs, which