Assassin bug - Assassin bug (English spelling)

Japanese: サシガメ(刺亀) - サシガメ（英語表記）assassin bug

A general term for insects belonging to the family Reduviidae in the suborder Heteroptera. There are 5,000 species in 31 subfamilies in the family Reduviidae, with about 80 species in 10 subfamilies recorded in Japan. They are carnivorous and mostly feed on other insects, but some species feed on the blood of mammals. Those that feed on pests are worth protecting as natural enemies, and are sometimes raised and released. Their bodies are polymorphous, often somewhat flattened, and some species are sometimes thread-like and have long, slender legs. They have two simple eyes located on the inside and rear of the protruding compound eyes. Their antennae generally have four segments, but sometimes are segmented into eight segments.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

半翅目異翅亜目サシガメ科Reduviidaeに属する昆虫の総称。サシガメ科は全世界に31亜科5000種，日本からは10亜科約80種が記録されている。肉食性で多くは他の昆虫を吸食するが，哺乳類の血液を吸う種類もいる。害虫を吸う種類は天敵として保護する価値があり，わざわざ飼育して放つこともある。体は多形で，やや扁平のことも多く，ときに糸状で肢の細長い種もいる。突出した複眼の内側後方に2個の単眼がある。触角は一般に4節であるが，ときに8節に分節する。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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