Orange Assassin Bug

Pselliopus barberi · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Reduviidae

Also called: American Orange Assassin Bug

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Orange Assassin Bug
Photo: Katja Schulz, CC BY

The orange assassin bug lives in open areas from spring through autumn and hibernates under tree bark, sometimes in groups. It is native to North America.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

Found in open areas during the warm months and hibernates under bark, often together.

Source: Wikipedia

When you see it

Active from spring to autumn.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Occurs in North America.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 30 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Kentucky, Indiana.

Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Orange Assassin Bug photo 3
Photo: Judy Gallagher, CC BY-SA
Orange Assassin Bug photo 4
Photo: Mark Richman, CC BY
Orange Assassin Bug photo 5
Photo: Ben Smith, CC BY
Orange Assassin Bug photo 6
Photo: Ben Smith, CC BY

Same family (Reduviidae)

North American Wheel BugNorth American Wheel BugArilus cristatusCan biteLeafhopper Assassin BugLeafhopper Assassin BugZelus renardiiCan biteMasked HunterMasked HunterReduvius personatusCan biteEastern Bloodsucking ConenoseEastern Bloodsucking ConenoseTriatoma sanguisugaCan spread germs or diseaseWestern Bloodsucking ConenoseWestern Bloodsucking ConenoseTriatoma protractaCan spread germs or diseasePale Green Assassin BugPale Green Assassin BugZelus luridusCan bite

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pselliopus_barberi

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

How this page works

This is one bug's fact sheet. The colored box at the top says whether it is dangerous. Sections below cover how to recognize it, whether it is a pest, and how to deal with it. The US map shows which states have records; tap a state to see other bugs there.

Every fact on Bug FAQ comes from a named source (university extension sites, government agencies, GBIF, iNaturalist, Wikipedia). The source is linked next to each section. If we have no source for something, we leave it out.