Beware the Assassin

Up the Choctaw Belair ridge again today - it's a gold mine, it really is.  So long as you are quiet and keep your eyes open, there's so much to see.  I even saw a couple of dragons zooming past.

These assassin bugs are the ultimate predator.  That long tube thingy coming out of its face is the proboscis (or rostrum), with which they stab their victims and suck their innards out.  I have it on good authority their bite can be very painful.  I generally keep my fingers well out of their way.  Because I don';t have an image of its back I can't ID it with certainty.  I know it's a red one :))

Here's some more info:  It's not for the faint-hearted.

Assassin bugs use their proboscis to impale prey (insects and spiders) and inject powerful saliva that turns the prey's body contents to liquid. The bug then sucks up the juices through the proboscis, which acts like a straw.

Assassin bugs sometimes bite humans when provoked, for example when they become entangled in clothing. When they bite their saliva causes intense pain, but the effects are usually localised and temporary. 

There are more than 300 species of Australian assassin bugs in the Family Reduviidae. All of our species are predators with elongated heads and a curved rostrum beneath.