The milkweed bug and milkweed assassin bug both look almost the same, so it’s often easy to get them confused and mistaken a milkweed bug bite that actually came from a milkweed assassin bug. This is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug and it is a beneficial predator. The green leaves and pretty flowers are an ideal habitat for the milkweed assassin bug’s hunting activities. Remember, everyone is protecting their garden resources. It is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug, Zelus longipes, and you can read more about the species on BugGuide. The fact that the podocarpus has Aphids is a good indication that the Milkweed Assassin Bugs are feeding on the Aphids. Though they can bite if carelessly handled, and the bite is reported to be painful, the Milkweed Assassin Bug is not venomous and it poses no … This makes it easier to for the assassin to walk among its prey. The milkweed assassin bug belongs to the family called assassin bugs. Its distribution ranges include southern North America, Central America, and South America (except Chile), especially in agroecosystems in Brazil.. Z. longipes has been considered as a potential biocontrol agent, as it prefers caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda, which is a moth that is a pest in cornfields. So if you ever get bitten by something that looks like a milkweed bug, it’s probably an assassin bug. We are very happy to have images of both immature and adult Milkweed Assassin Bugs to post with your letter. Bugs in orange and black: Three assassins - milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes ; orange assassin bug, Pselliopus barberi ; and wheel bug… A Milkweed Assassin Bug is red and black in almost the same places as Large Milkweed Bugs. Adult Milkweed Assassin Bugs have wings. Bug of the Week is written by "The Bug Guy," Michael J. Raupp, Professor of Entomology at the University of Maryland. To learn more about the milkweed assassin bug, contact the local UF/IFAS County Extension Office. Zelus longipes is an assassin bug that is a member of the harpactorinae subfamily. The good news is this assassin bug has little inclination to enter homes. While Large Milkweed Bugs eat seeds and plant stems, leaving other insects alone, Milkweed Assassin Bugs bug killers. There are a few insects in this order that bite humans, the most notorious is the kissing bug. Bob Peterson