Assassin bug, Mosier, OR - Ask Extension
Found an assassin bug (check out the "beak" in the 2nd photo) yesterday. Supposedly, they do not range this far north. Well, it appears they do indeed...
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Assassin bug, Mosier, OR #604616
Asked October 28, 2019, 5:57 PM EDT
Found an assassin bug (check out the "beak" in the 2nd photo) yesterday. Supposedly, they do not range this far north. Well, it appears they do indeed. And I bet they are now in WA as well. I have a live sample. I hear they are great for gardening, as they hunt and kill many pests. But, can you say "Chagas Disease"? I knew that you could. It is green legged, about an inch long. Thanks, Global Warming! I don't know what the larger bug in the photo is. But I am pretty sure it is a pest I have seen before, poking garden fruit like tomatoes. I included it for scale.
Cook County Illinois
Expert Response
Hello,
The bug in question is actually a good guy! From what I can see, it is the species Zelus renardii. They are beneficial predators in the garden, and have recently been commercialized for such purpose.
The other, larger, brown bug is a leaf-footed bug, and does indeed feed on fruits, as you mention.
The only assassin bugs that vector Chagas disease are true 'kissing bugs' (Triatoma spp.). As far as i know (and a 2014 paper states): their range is still limited to the lower 2/3rds of the US (CA, NV, CO, MO, PA borders) - I'll try to include a map here, but not sure it will show up. Source:
Klotz, Stephen A et al. “Kissing bugs in the United States: risk for vector-borne disease in humans.” Environmental health insights vol. 8,Suppl 2 49-59. 10 Dec. 2014, doi:10.4137/EHI.S16003
It is good that you are aware to watch out for them, as many invasions
have been detected by concerned, alert citizens.
Thanks for using
Ask-an-Expert,
Jessica
