Bug FAQPale Green Assassin Bug
Zelus luridus · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Reduviidae
Source: Wikipedia
Adult pale green assassin bugs are about 14-16 mm long, with females slightly larger than males. They hunt other insects by waiting on leaves or actively chasing prey. If handled they may deliver a painful bite, but it is not considered medically significant.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The bug is pale green with back markings that can be dark brown, red, bright yellow, or other colors.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults range from 12.5 to 18 mm in length. Females average about 16 mm, males about 14 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
If handled, it can bite and the bite is extremely painful. The bite is not considered medically significant to humans.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It preys on other insects. It ambushes insects on leaves or sometimes hunts actively.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Egg masses are laid from late June to August and are conical with a flat top. Nymphs are solid green, wingless, and have narrower bodies than adults.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Eggs are laid from late June through August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 43 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do they bite people?
Yes, they can bite and the bite is very painful, though it is not medically serious.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are they?
Adults are between 12.5 and 18 mm long, with females averaging 16 mm and males 14 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they eat?
They prey on other insects, waiting on leaves or actively hunting.
Source: Wikipedia
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
Milkweed Assassin BugZelus longipesSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelus_luridus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.