Assassin Bug | National Geographic

if you were to call this assassin bug
bloodthirsty the bug would most likely
say and your point is practically from
the moment of birth in a cave in
southern Belize the assassin bug has one
mission to suck another creatures blood
take this newly hatched assassin bug may
be called a nymph to grow the nymph must
have the blood of a vertebrate and so
the nymphs first act after finding its
legs is to go vertebrate hunting Fisher
reptile will do but the nymph was born
near a cave that is home for both fruit
bats and vampire bats this sleeping
fruit bat will do nicely the nymph can
sense its victim’s body heat it
punctures the bats wingtip with its
needle-like nose and then to fill her up
like a gasoline tanker truck filling
with fuel the nib gorges itself its
saliva acts as an anesthetic
the bat feels no pain in another part of
the cave a vampire bat pop is in trouble
she slid down a cave wall attracting
some adult assassin bugs the bugs have
cornered the pop on a Ledge and aim the
blood-sucking siphons right at her the
pop can’t fly in but she can use her for
arms and legs to escape the assassin
bugs don’t give up they go after the pop
maybe they should learn from their own
nips getting a meal is so much easier
when your prey is asleep