This is a gnarly Assassin Bug in the Reduviidae family of the order Hemiptera ... feeding from a flower??
The flower is a California Bay (Umbellularia californica) tree. I believe the insect is the Spiny Assassin Bug (Sinea spinipes, but cp. S. diadema)? See the photos at BugGuide:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/7900/bgimage
So what is this predator insect doing feeding on flowers? I saw three on them on the flowers today! (San Marcos Pass, 5 February 2012)
I've always assumed these Assassin Bugs in the Reduviidae are all predators, but now I'm confused. I've been living in woods for 40+ years and I still get confused. Wahoo!
On February 05 2012
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Photos of flowers, plants, bugs, animals, birds, landscape, geology or whatever nature gives you room to breathe. Please be as informative or descriptive as you can about what a plant, animal or rock is. To me, education about nature is a strong part of knowing nature.
![Gnarly Assassin Bug (Reduviidae) - feeding on flowers?! - This is a gnarly [b]Assassin Bug[/b] in the [i]Reduviidae[/i] family of the order [i]Hemiptera[/i] ... feeding from a flower??
The flower is a [b]California Bay[/b] ([i]Umbellularia californica[/i]) tree. I believe the insect is the [b]Spiny Assassin Bug[/b] ([i]Sinea spinipes[/i], but cp. [i]S. diadema[/i])? See the photos at BugGuide:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/7900/bgimage
So what is this predator insect doing feeding on flowers? I saw three on them on the flowers today! (San Marcos Pass, 5 February 2012)
I've always assumed these [b]Assassin Bugs[/b] in the [i]Reduviidae[/i] are all predators, but now I'm confused. I've been living in woods for 40+ years and I still get confused. Wahoo!
- Fotolog](http://sp2.fotolog.com/photo/34/26/39/treebeard/1328498731501_f.jpg)
