Isyndus obscurus is a large brown assassin bug from Asia, about 0.8–1.1 in (20–27 mm) long, that stabs other insects with its beak and sucks out their insides. It is native to South and East Asia, including India, China, Korea, and Japan, and is not found in the United States. In Japan it has been recorded preying on the brown marmorated stink bug, and it can give a very painful stab if handled.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 0.8–1.1 in (20–27 mm) long. Brown all over and covered in fine yellowish hairs, with a long narrow head and long antennae. Females have a noticeably wider abdomen than males.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Mountain forests
- Tree canopy
- Range
- Pakistan, India, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. In 2020 a few were found on the walls of a house in southwestern France, the first record for Europe; how they arrived is unknown.
- Preferred conditions
- Mostly lives up in trees in hilly and mountain areas.
Behavior
- Diet
- Hunts small insects. In Japan, it has been recorded eating brown marmorated stink bugs before and after winter.
- Overwintering
- Spends the winter as an adult, sometimes in groups under bark or in tree hollows; in Japan it occasionally comes into houses to overwinter.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Eggs are cylinder-shaped and laid in clusters of about 13–27.
Cautions
- Cautions
- If handled, it can stab with its beak, and the bite is reported to be very painful and slow to fade. Avoid picking it up with bare hands.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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