Bee assassin

Description

The bee assassin (Apiomerus crassipes) is an insect that feeds on bees and ants. It is found throughout North America. Bee assassins can fly, and stalk flowering plants that are visited by bees, flies, and other pollinating insects. Bee assassins are usually dark in color with yellow or red markings on the sides of the abdomen, and are about 3/4 in long. The bee assassins' fore tibiae are coated with a sticky resin to aid in prey capture. Apiomerus is a genus of conspicuous, brightly colored assassin bugs belonging to the family Reduviidae. The species can be found in the United States ranging into tropical America. The common name bee assassins derives from their frequent habit of sitting and waiting upon flowers and taking bees as prey. The bright colors are aposematic, likely a warning to larger predators that a painful bite can be delivered. Many species of this genus have a sticky resin pad located on their dorsal abdomen. The resin is thought to be derived from plant material and may play a role in defending eggs from predation, especially by ants. The genus consists of about 110 described species.