A member of the Reduviid family, this tiny assassin uses it’s long legs and piercing-sucking mouthparts (proboscis) to ambush other small invertabrates. They inject venom and digestive juices into their prey then slurp up the predigested material, a process known as “extraoral digestion”. Welcomed in many gardens for their help controlling “pests”, they are also able to deliver a painful bite to folks who handle them carelessly.
2022-05-27