Horrid King Assassin Bug

(Psytalla horrida)

When it comes to fierceness, the Horrid King Assassin Bug (Psytalla horrida) is an absolute stunner! This species is to native to West Africa, and is the largest assassin bug species in the world. The Horrid King Assassin Bug is equipped with a sharp beak-like mouthpart called a rostrum that it uses to pierce through the exoskeleton of its prey. It then injects saliva that is laced with potent fast acting venom that not only paralyzes its prey, but also liquifies the internal tissues of its prey’s body! Once the venom has broken down its prey’s body internally, the Horrid King Assassin Bug then uses its rostrum like a straw to drink the pre-digested fluids out like a milkshake! The venom delivered from one of these guys is said to be excruciating to a human!