Bug FAQDesert Bee Assassin
Apiomerus cazieri · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Reduviidae
It preys on the beetle Trichodes ornatus and also catches honey bees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Its habitat includes the desert regions of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It feeds on the beetle Trichodes ornatus and on honey bees.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, specifically the Chihuahuan and Sonoran desert areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 6 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Same family (Reduviidae)
North American Wheel BugArilus cristatusCan bite
Leafhopper Assassin BugZelus renardiiCan bite
Masked HunterReduvius personatusCan bite
Eastern Bloodsucking ConenoseTriatoma sanguisugaCan spread germs or disease
Western Bloodsucking ConenoseTriatoma protractaCan spread germs or disease
Pale Green Assassin BugZelus luridusCan biteSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apiomerus_cazieri
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-27 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-27.