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Project Noah Nature School
Arilus cristatus
Strange looking bug with a large beak that they use to pierce their prey in order to suck their blood. They come in many colors and sizes and there are many species of assassin bugs around the world with different markings.
This one was spotted on my azalea bushes.
Assassin bugs can bite humans and can even carry and spread diseases. They normally would not attack a human so to speak, but if you pick it up, or place your hands on it unintentionally you could get a pretty nasty bite. After taking this photo and doing my research I was a bit cautious about poking around my bushes looking for more insects to photograph.
Spotted on May 15, 2011
Submitted on Jan 24, 2012
