Reduviidae

Reduviidae
Temporal range: Cenomanian–Recent
Assassin bug (Rhynocoris iracundus) with bee prey
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Infraorder: Cimicomorpha
Family: Reduviidae
Latreille, 1807
Subfamilies

Bactrodinae
Centrocnemidinae
Cetherinae
Chryxinae
Ectrichodiinae
Elasmodeminae
Emesinae
Microtominae (=Hammacerinae)
Harpactorinae
Holoptilinae
Manangocorinae
Peiratinae
Phimophorinae
Phymatinae
Physoderinae
Pseudocetherinae
Reduviinae
Saicinae
Salyavatinae
Sphaeridopinae
Stenopodainae
Triatominae
Tribelocephalinae
Vesciinae
Visayanocorinae

The Reduviidae is a large cosmopolitan family of the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). Among the Hemiptera and together with the Nabidae almost all species are terrestrial ambush predators; most other predatory Hemiptera are aquatic. The main examples of non-predatory Reduviidae are some blood-sucking ectoparasites in the subfamily Triatominae, with a few species from South America noted for their ability to transmit Chagas disease. Though spectacular exceptions are known, most members of the family are fairly easily recognizable; they have a relatively narrow neck, sturdy build, and formidable curved proboscis (sometimes called a rostrum). Large specimens should be handled with caution, if at all, because they sometimes defend themselves with a very painful stab from the proboscis.