Channel: Deep Look

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: pbsassassin bug vs caterpillareducationeggtarweedgardeningassassin bugsowlet mothmadia eleganstrichomesassassin bug feedingbeneficial insectsassassin bugmatingcarnivorous plantsbugscaterpillarsbiteinsecttrapdocumentarycarrionmacroeggsflowersheliothodes diminutivaowlet moth caterpillarpollinationnaturepredatortarweedsdeep lookinsectsbitesflowerhow do assassin bugs killpselliopus spinicollisscience4kstickyassassin bug vswild

Description: Under the bright yellow petals of a tarweed plant, an insect known as the assassin bug kills its caterpillar victim by stabbing it over and over. But does this perpetrator have an accomplice? Sticky droplets all over the plant could be a clue. SUBSCRIBE to Deep Look! goo.gl/8NwXqt Please join our community on Patreon! patreon.com/deeplook ---+ Why is an assassin bug called an assassin bug? Likely because it impales its insect and arachnid victims with its pointy mouthparts. ---+ Is an assassin bug the same thing as a kissing bug? No. Assassin bugs and kissing bugs are relatives, but they’re different from each other. They’re both part of a large family of insects called reduviids, known as the “assassin bug” family, hence part of the confusion. Kissing bugs and assassin bugs look similar to each other in that they have long mouthparts that they keep folded under their head when they’re not using them. But they’re different from each other in their feeding habits. Assassin bugs, which are found around the world, live on plants and feed mainly on insects, for example, moth caterpillars and beetles and beetle larvae. Kissing bugs make up a group of 150 species known as triatomines and found mainly in the Americas. Kissing bugs feed on the blood of humans, as well as that of many other domestic and wild mammals and birds. These insects can transmit a parasite through their feces that causes Chagas disease. The parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, may live inside the body for many years without causing health problems, but it damages the heart and digestive systems of 20% to 30% of infected people and can be deadly. Even though its feces can make you sick, the bite of a kissing bug is usually painless, since the parasite injects chemicals so that it can feed undisturbed for several minutes. But a kissing bug’s bite can sometimes cause anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that leads to shortness of breath, shock and death, if left unattended. An assassin bug’s stab, if you’re unlucky enough to step on one or you pick one up by mistake, *will* hurt. And both assassin bug and kissing bug bites can be itchy. ---+ What are an assassin bug’s mouthparts called? Assassin bugs’ mouthparts are often referred to as the rostrum or beak. ---+ Is there anything good about the assassin bug? Yes! Assassin bugs can help control agricultural and garden pests. ---+ Find a transcript on KQED Science: kqed.org/science/1976834/you-cant-unsee-the-assassin-bugs-dirty-work ---+ More great Deep Look episodes: These Hairworms Eat a Cricket Alive and Control Its Mind youtu.be/YB6O7jS_VBM This Killer Fungus Turns Flies into Zombies youtu.be/C2Jw5ib-s_I Born Pregnant: Aphids Invade with an Onslaught of Clones youtu.be/vrzalLssomg Leaf Miner Fly Babies Scribble All Over Your Salad youtu.be/QtbjUB4AnLI ---+ Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for correctly answering our GIF challenge! Dansu18 Kaiser Yuan Malcom Clarance Feelsbad Bill Nabila ---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)! Chris B Emrick Burt Humburg David Deshpande Karen Reynolds Daisuke Goto Adam Kurtz Allison & Maka Masuda dane rosseter Kaleb Kuan Nathan Jewsbury Companion Cube Tianxing Wang Josh Kuroda Wild Turkey Neil Jeyasingam Mark Jobes Blanca Vides Cindy McGill Kevin Judge Titania Juang Anastasia Grinkevic Aurora Roberta K Wright Supernovabetty KW Syniurge monoirre Leonhardt Wille Carrie Mukaida El Samuels Gerardo Alfaro Nicky O. Mehdi Ed Gandia Scott Faunce Kristy Freeman Cristen Rasmussen Vivek Singh Rick Wong Sonia Tanlimco Misia Clive Kallie Moore Mary Truland Kelly Hong Carlos Carrasco SueEllen McCann Nicolette Ray Caitlin McDonough Noreen Herrington Louis O'Neill Shelley Pearson Cranshaw Teresa Lavell Laurel Przybylski Levi Cai Silvan Joshua Murallon Robertson TierZoo Elizabeth Ann Ditz Delphine Tseng Jana Brenning chckncurry ---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look: Instagram: instagram.com/kqedscience Twitter: twitter.com/kqedscience ---+ About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by The National Science Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED. #assassinbug #tarweed #deeplook