Japanese Assassin Bug

Agriosphodrus dohrni · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Reduviidae

Can sting. It can sting people, causing a painful reaction.

The Japanese assassin bug is a large, glossy-black true bug with white wax spots and red markings on the abdomen (females red tip, males red patch). It lives on tree trunks near human areas in China, Southeast Asia and India, but has become invasive in Japan where it can sting people. Eggs hatch from early May to mid-June, and the nymphs develop quickly, hunting cooperatively on the tree surface.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Adults are glossy black with white wax spots along the sides. Females have a red tip on the abdomen, while males show a red patch on the lower belly.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Females can grow up to about 25 mm long, and males up to about 20 mm.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

In Japan they are classified as invasive because they prey on native arthropods and can deliver painful stings to humans.

Source: Wikipedia

Does it bite or sting?

Although not aggressive, they can sting people, causing a painful reaction.

Source: Wikipedia

How to get rid of it

Japanese authorities have not started any mitigation, control or eradication programs. They are being studied as natural enemies of other invasive insects such as fall webworm and Parasa lepida.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

They are found on the trunks of trees such as poplar, willow and tree of heaven near parks and roadsides.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

They are considered for biological control of certain agricultural or forest insect pests. Nymphs stay together on tree trunks, hunt cooperatively and share captured prey.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Development includes hatching, molting and emergence.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Their natural range includes mainland China, Southeast Asia and India. Despite the name, they are not native to Japan; they were first recorded there in 1930 and are now invasive.

Source: Wikipedia