assassin bug
nounDefinition of assassin bug
: any of a family (Reduviidae) of bugs that are usually predatory on insects though some (such as a kissing bug) suck the blood of mammals
— called also reduviid
Illustration of assassin bug
Examples of assassin bug in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Known as an assassin bug, Sycanus uses its mouthpart to stab its insect prey, including the fire caterpillar, one of the most important pests of oil palm trees. — Dyna Rochmyaningsih, Science | AAAS, "Courting controversy, scientists team with industry to tackle one of the world’s most destructive crops," 11 July 2019 Indiana has its fair share of scary pests, ranging from wasps, assassin bugs and stink bugs to more harmful critters, such as poisonous spiders. — Andrew Clark, Indianapolis Star, "This fish was caught in the Ohio River. If it makes it to Indiana, it could wreak havoc.," 10 Oct. 2018 The bedroom reeks pleasantly of timbers, mildew, brick; the kitchen at night races with mice and assassin bugs; and in the pasture the cows moan and ruminate and gather under the shade of the trees to escape the withering sun. — Christopher Ketcham, Harper's magazine, "Ramblin’ Man," 24 June 2019 The assassin bug wears its victims' corpses on its back, where the cadavers act as both shield and camouflage. — National Geographic, "Meet the Bug That Armors Itself With Shells," 23 June 2018 The assassin bug's deadly proboscis is both sword and siphon. — smithsonianmag.com, "Why the Assassin Bug More Than Lives Up to Its Name," 30 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'assassin bug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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