This guide lists all recorded assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Great Smoky Mountains NP. The assassin bugs are a family of predacious insects within the true bugs, and are related to things like stink bugs, water striders, cicadas, and many others. Because they feed on many "pest" ...more ↓
This guide lists all recorded assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Great Smoky Mountains NP. The assassin bugs are a family of predacious insects within the true bugs, and are related to things like stink bugs, water striders, cicadas, and many others. Because they feed on many "pest" insects, they are often considered to be beneficial. Assassin bugs are relatively rare in the park unless you know where to look. Some species prefer open meadows like at Cade's Cove, while others prefer wooded areas. Many of them are have excellent camouflaged disguises, so look closely!
The species in this guide are taken from the Smokies All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), managed by Discover Life in America. Assassin bugs are considered to be understudied in the Park: there are 18 known species, but it's likely that there are more waiting to be recorded. You can help us by reporting assassin bugs that you spot in the park!
List maintained by Will Kuhn, DLiA
Icon photo credit: Andy McLemore, Flickr
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Assassin bugs of GSMNP
