Definition

Noun: - Family Reduviidae: A scientific classification (family) within the order Hemiptera (true bugs), commonly known as assassin bugs. This family comprises predatory insects, most of which are beneficial as they prey on other arthropods, often using a sharp, curved proboscis to inject paralyzing and digestive saliva into their prey.

Usage

• The term is used primarily in formal, scientific, or academic contexts such as entomology, biology, and agricultural science.
• It refers to the taxonomic group as a whole, not to an individual insect. An individual is an "assassin bug" or a member of the family Reduviidae.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• In taxonomic hierarchy: The family Reduviidae is part of the suborder Heteroptera, order Hemiptera.
• The term is often used in contrast to other hemipteran families, e.g., "Unlike the phytophagous family Miridae, the family Reduviidae is predominantly predatory."

Variants and Related Words

• Reduviid (noun/adjective): A member of the family Reduviidae; pertaining to the family Reduviidae.
  • Example: The reduviid's bite can be painful to humans.
• Assassin bug (noun): The common name for most insects in the family Reduviidae.
  • Example: An assassin bug was observed capturing a caterpillar.

Synonyms

• Assassin bugs (common name)
• Reduviids (scientific common name)

Notes on Meaning

• The definition is strictly taxonomic. It does not have idiomatic or figurative meanings.
• Some members of this family, notably subfamily Triatominae (kissing bugs), are vectors of disease (e.g., Chagas disease), which is a specific context within the broader family.

Noun

1. assassin bugs