A species of
assassin bug (
Gminatus australis shown) feeding on a
beetle. Assassin bugs use their long
rostrum to inject a lethal
saliva that liquefies the insides of the prey, which are then sucked out. The most distinctive feature of the assassin bug family is that the tip of the rostrum fits into a groove in the
prosternum, where it is rasped against
ridges there to produce sound, a tactic often used to intimidate predators.
Photo: JJ Harrison