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Red Spot Assassin Bug

red_spot_assassin_bug_sm.jpg: Red spot assassin bug
Range: Central Africa
Habitat: Forests, scrublands, grasslands, croplands
Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN
Scientific Name: Platymeris laevicollis

The striking red-on-black coloration of these African bugs warns attackers that the insects pack a painful bite. Assassin bugs are such tenacious hunters that farmers use them for pest control on coconut plantations. They help control the crop-damaging rhinoceros beetle.