Eastern Blood-sucking Conenose (Triatoma sanguisuga)
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Most members of the assassin bug family are considered to be beneficial because they eat insect pests in the garden. The Eastern Blood-sucking Conenose is an exception, however. True to its name, it feeds on the blood of mammals. The insects cannot often sneak up on alert humans, preferring to attack when their victims are asleep. They tend to live in the nooks and crannies of thatched roof shacks and feed at night, hence another common name: Big Bed Bug. These bugs are indeed large, measuring almost one inch in length. Their bite can cause severe reactions in some people and they are capable of transmitting dangerous parasitic diseases.
The nymph shown below looks like it is a tan color, but it is really closer to the adult's color. It is covered with a fine coating of sand and dust, providing excellent camouflage amongst the rocks in which it was found.
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class: Insecta / order: Hemiptera / family: Reduviidae / genus: Triatoma / species: sanguisuga
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