Early last November, 2005, I was in the back yard of my house here in northwest Austin, Texas, when I was bitten by a bug. He had been hiding in my work gloves, which I had left on my back porch for several weeks. Since I normally keep them inside, I was concerned that a spider or something may be hidden in there, so before I put them on, I shook them out and even squeezed each finger to kill anything that might be hiding. I guess that’s when he got grumpy, because about 1 minute after I had put the gloves on and begun my yard work (picking up leaves), I received a most painful bite on my little finger, much like a severe wasp sting. Here’s the scary part: a shudder immediately went over my entire body, and a chill went down my spine, sort of an “I’m in trouble” feeling in general, like I needed to run or do something immediately. I remembered getting a similarly strange bite from the previous year as well and I though, whatever that was that got me last year has gotten me again. Removing the gloves and examining the bite revealed a small, perfectly round puncture, with blood beginning to ooze out. It was painful, and swelling began immediately. I swore off using gloves for the moment and continued my work.
About 30 min. later, the swelling was going down, and the pain had nearly completely stopped, though it was a bit tender to the touch still (it took 2 weeks to heal completely). I got a bit worried, and thinking perhaps a little investigation was in order, since we have both the Black Widow and the Brown Recluse spiders in this area, I turned my glove inside out and out came a small greenish-brownish bug, a little over an inch long, with wings, and big front legs with debris on them. I quickly ran in and got a plastic dish and caught the little guy (gal?). I did my best to photograph it, but my cheap camera just wouldn’t focus on something so small, sorry.
Good light and magnification helped me to make the amateur identification that I had an Assassin Bug on my hands, my best guess is that it was a Zelus renardii, the Leafhopper Assassin Bug. A close look at his formidable needle-like articulated mouthparts caused me to do a bit more research whereupon I learned about their predatory nature and habits and such. I let him go unharmed (mistake?). Much later, I was to learn they are a vector for Chagas Disease if infected with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Great. And I had been bitten.
That very night, I found 4 more, 2 of which were even larger than the first, hiding in a towel that was hanging from the side of my house, same place. I left them alone. I continue to see them to this day: just a few weeks ago I caught an immature but lively specimen apparently hunting prey buzzing around my back porch light at night. I also remembered that I had had the same kind of bite the previous year, doing the same thing in the same place, picking up leaves in my back yard. I’ve never looked at a pile of leaves the same since.
This is the actual bug that bit me. Yes, it’s blurry, it’s not your eyes.