Assassin 250

[Elnora Heidrick]

StealthyAggressive. Lethal. Assassin flies are predators that hunt and feed on other insects. They are the third most diverse group of flies, with more than seven thousand species already identified and countless others yet to be discovered. Most assassin flies are grey and black, but some are brightly colored and mimic other insects like bumble bees and wasps.

The venomous saliva kills the insect almost instantly. The assassin fly is able to hold on with strong, bristly legs that form a basket to carry its prey to a perching site where the fly can eat at its leisure.

Discover the captivating open world of Feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.

As the quick-witted and agile Naoe, use noise, light, and shadows to evade detection as enemies respond to their changing surroundings. Distract guards using kunai, shuriken, and smoke bombs, infiltrate enemy bases with your grappling hook and parkour skills, and assassinate your targets with the hidden blade.

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Assassin Bugs and Ambush Bugs are in the order Hemiptera which also includes stinks bugs, leaf-footed bugs, and other insects. All insects in Hemiptera share a few characteristics, including piercing and sucking mouthparts, and wings which are membranous and clear at the tips, but hardened at the base.

Assassin bugs and ambush bugs are in the family Reduviidae. Insects in this family are distinguished from other members of Hemiptera by their short, 3-segmented beaks (most Hemiptera have 4-segmented beaks).

WHAT IS AN AMBUSH BUG?

Technically, ambush bugs are a type of assassin bug, but there are a few differences. Assassin bugs are usually dark-colored, with combinations of gray, green, and black. Assassin bugs also have long, narrow heads compared to ambush bugs. Ambush bugs are usually stoutly built and typically have bright colors: yellow, red, or orange. Ambush bugs have thickened front legs which are used to capture prey. Assassin bugs will also use their front legs to capture prey, but their front legs are not as thickened as those of ambush bugs.

Like all members of the order Hemiptera, assassin bugs and ambush bugs go through a simple metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult stages. In warm months, females lay eggs which are stuck in clusters to leaves and stems. After hatching, the wingless nymphs grow and molt 4 times (some species molt 7 times) before becoming full-sized, winged adults. Adults are usually the overwintering stage.

Wheel Bug Nymph (R. Bessin, 2000)

Assassin bug nymph, Zelus sp.

(B. Newton, 2004) ECOLOGY Most members of the family Reduviidae are predators. The nymphs and adults capture insects and other arthropods in their raptoral (prey-grabbing) front legs, then use their sharp beaks to suck fluids from their victim. They also inject a small amount of poison that paralyzes their prey, making it easier to handle. Assassin bugs actively hunt for prey, but ambush bugs wait motionless for prey to come to them.

Wheel Bug feeding on a caterpillar

(Image courtesy USDA Photo Set) In general, assassin bugs hunt on various types of vegetation, including trees, weeds, and bushes. Ambush bugs usually hunt on flowers. Assassin and ambush bugs are able to fly, but they are poor fliers. Although assassin bugs and ambush bugs are fierce predators, they are sometimes eaten by birds, rodents, and large predatory arthropods, such as spiders, praying mantids, and even other assassin and ambush bugs. Assassin bug and ambush bugs are especially vulnerable to predation when they are in the nymph stage.

PARASITIC REDUVIIDS: A few species in this family are parasites that feed on the blood of mammals. The Bloodsucking Conenose, Triatoma sanguisuga, is a common example. It normally feeds on rodents, but will sometimes bite humans that sleep near rodent nests.

Bugs in the family Reduviidae are considered pests when they bite humans. Common predatory assassin bugs, like the Wheel Bug, will occasionally inflict painful bites. For the most part, however, assassin and ambush bugs have reputations as beneficial insects because they feed on other arthropods.

Only the parasitic reduviids, such as the conenose bugs, are true pests. Their bites sometimes cause severe allergic reactions. However, they are not frequently encountered in Kentucky. Read more about conenose bugs and other biting bugs at this Texas A&M Extension website:

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WHEEL BUG

GENUS and SPECIES: Arilus cristatus

The most commonly seen assassin bug in Kentucky is probably the Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, pictured below. At 1 1/2", this silver-gray insect is the largest assassin bug that lives in Kentucky. It gets its name from the structure on its thorax which resembles a gear or saw blade. The wheel bug is notorious for its painful bite, but it only bites on accident or if handled carelessly. The nymph of the wheel bug is pictured above.

SPINED ASSASSIN BUG

GENUS and SPECIES: Sinea diadema

Sinea diadema, pictured below, is usually called the Spined Assassin Bug. It is often found on goldenrod and other wildflowers. Because it is smaller than the wheel bug (at about 3/4") it is not noticed as often, but the spined assassin bug is just as common, if not more so.

CORSAIR

GENUS: Melanolestes

Corsairs are unusual assassin bugs in the Melanolestes genus. Male corsairs have full-sized wings and are sometimes found hunting on leaves and flowers. Female corsairs, like the one pictured below, have stunted, non-functional wings. They hunt under rocks, logs, and fallen leaves for ground-dwelling prey like caterpillars, crickets, and earthworms. Corsairs are about 1" long. Visit this page at BugGuide.net for a picture of winged male corsair:

Assassin bugs and ambush bugs are always an interesting addition to an insect collection. Look for assassin bugs in any weedy or bushy area during warm months, especially in hedge rows, along roadsides and fence rows, in gardens, or along trails. Ambush bugs are commonly found on wildflowers during the summer, but they are especially common on goldenrod in late summer and early fall. Most assassin bugs and ambush bugs are slow moving: if you find them, they are usually easy to catch. They will also usually stay still for a photograph. If you are patient, you may be able to snap a picture of one as it slowly consumes its prey. Although assassin bugs and ambush bugs are not considered dangerous, most can bite, and should not be handled.

Assassin bugs can also make great pets, and usually do well in captivity, although most species only live for a year or two (and they can't be handled!). For more information about keeping pet assassin bugs, visit our Pet Bugs page: Assassin Bugs.

Because assassin bugs are such good predators, scientists are interested in using them as natural control agents of crop pests. Read about an important assassin bug predator from California:

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Photos courtesy R. Bessin and B. Newton, University of Kentucky, except Wheel Bug Feeding on Caterpillar, USDA Photo Set; used with permission.

The Kentucky Critter Files are maintained by Blake Newton, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky.

Contact: bla...@uky.edu

AssassinsOrganizational informationFounder(s)Eve and Adam[1] (legendary)

Bayek and Amunet (de jure)[2]Leader's titleMentor[3][4]Predecessor(s)Artabanus' groupBabylonian BrotherhoodMedjaySubsidiariesLiberatores[5]

Liberalis Circulum[6]

Rooks[7]

Narodnaya Volya[4]

Initiates[8]

Their political philosophy is enshrined in the Creed, consisting of a maxim and three core tenets which serve as their principal prescriptions. While the maxim presents itself as akin to a doctrine, it is in reality a value-neutral epistemic claim about nature that the Assassins hold to serve as the bedrock to developing an independent, critical, and open-minded value and belief system. Despite this, their culture and goals are driven by an idealistic ideology emphasizing the faith in humanity's potential to foster world peace through collective growth enabled by freedom of education, belief, and expression.

In a development paralleling that of the Templars, the Hidden Ones emerged as the Assassins in the 11th century when Hassan-i Sabbāh fled Egypt and re-organized the order as a state in Alamut, where it could be protected by the northern mountains of Persia. Alamut remained the heartland of the Assassins until Al Mualim founded a branch in Masyaf and thereupon established a reputation feared by the Crusaders and Saracens alike, entering into public imagination. By then, the Assassins had become entrenched in traditional dogma, and under Al Mualim's successor, Altar Ibn-La'Ahad, a wave of momentous reforms was enacted that were simultaneously progressive and returned the Assassins to the original principles of the Hidden Ones. Unable to withstand the onslaught of the Mongol Empire, the Assassins then relinquished their state, retreated into the shadows once more, and spread across the world, seeding their presence to regions like Italy and Spain, India and Japan, and reaching peoples as far-flung as the Kanien'keh:ka and the Maya, becoming a truly multicultural and global network.

These tenets permeate every aspect of the Assassins' daily life, as well as their fight for "peace in all things". The Assassins carry out their duties through political, strategic assassination in the hope that killing one individual will lead to the salvation of thousands. They also believe that they fight on the behalf of those who do not possess the abilities, resources, or knowledge to speak out against those who abuse their power.[1]

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