Masked Hunter

Did You Know?

• Thepainfromabiteofamaskedhunterisequatedtothatofawasporbeesting.

• Maskedhuntersarenocturnal.

• Batbugs,swallowbugs,andbedbugsarereportedlyfavoredmealsforthemaskedhunter.

• Themaskedhunterdoesnottransmitdisease;however,arelatedassassinbug,the“conenosebug,”doesinsomesouthernU.S.statesandsouthward.

• Themaskedhunterisnotareliablebiocontrolofotherbugs.

Above:Figure1.Wingedadultmaskedhunter(Bug-woodWiki).

Right:Figure2.Maskedhunternypmhcoveredwithdebris(ChapChiswick,WikimediaCommons).

IPM Fact Sheet # 6 September 2013

UtahPESTPRESS

Management Tools for a Healthy Learning EnvironmentMasked Hunter

General Information:

Themaskedhunterispartofalargegroupofinsectsknownasassassinbugs.Ingeneral,assassinbugsarebeneficial,predatoryinsects.Whileanyassassinbugcanbiteifmishandled,maskedhuntersarefrequentlyfoundindoorsandoccasionallybitepeopleevenifunprovoked.Maskedhuntersgettheirnamefromthehabitoftheimmaturescamouflaging,ormaskingthemselveswithdirtanddebrisfromtheenvironment.

What do they look like?Ingeneral,theadultmaskedhunteris17-22mm(0.7-0.9inch)inlength,andisdarkbrowntoblackwithathin,slenderbody(Fig.1).Thenymphsmaintainadifferentappearancebycoveringthemselvesindirt,dust,andotherdebristoassistinprotectionfrompredators(Fig2.).

Life Cycle

Eggsofmaskedhuntersarelaidsinglyorinclustersandhatchwithin8to30days.Theyoungnymphspassthroughfiveimmaturestagesbeforebecomingawingedadult.Developmentaltimesdependontheavailabilityoffoodandtemperature,butonegenerationperyearisnormal.

Bloodsucking Relatives

Themaskedhunterhasabloodsuckingrelativenamedthe“conenosebug.”Itsbite,althoughpainless,couldcauseanallergicreactioninhumansorpossiblytransmitChagasdiseaseincertainstates.TherearenoreportedcasesofChagasdiseaseoriginatinginUtah.

Any products, services or organizations that are mentioned, shown or indirectly implied in this publication do not imply endorsement by Utah State University. Utah State University is an affir-

mative action/equal opportunity institution.2013

Managing Masked Hunters with Integrated Pest Management Maskedhuntersrarelyoccurinsufficientnumberstowarrantcontrol.Iflargenumbersexistitismostlikelyaresultofalargeinsectpopulationthatissustainingthemaskedhunter.Exclusionandcleaningareexcellenttoolstomanagethepresenceofmaskedhunters.Sincemaskedhuntersaresolitaryandsomewhatnomadic,chemicaltreatmentisn’trecommended.

• Monitor-Examinesticky/monitoringtrapseveryfewweeksformaskedhuntersandotherpests.

• Physical-Frequentlycleanuntouchedcornersofrooms,closets,andotherareaswheretheydevelop.-Limitclutterorareaswherethemaskedhuntercanhideintheday. -Eliminateotherinsectsthatwouldbepossiblefoodsourcesforthemaskedhunter. -Changeexteriorlightingtosodiumlightbulbs. -Vacuum/sweepoftentoclean-upmaskedhuntersandinsectsthatmayserveastheirfood.

• Exclusion-Caulkorsealentrypointsintoabuildinginareaswheremaskedhuntersareanissue.

• Chemical-Notrecommended.

SometimespeopleareconcernedtheymayhavecontractedChagasdiseaseafterbeingbittenbythemaskedhunter.Chagasdisease,alsocalledAmericantrypanosomiasis,isaparasite(Trypanosoma cruzi)spreadthroughthefecesofagroupofblood-feedingassassinbugsknownas“kissingbugs.”Maskedhuntersarenottruekissingbugs,noraretheytruebloodfeeders.MaskedHuntersdonotharbororspreadChagasdisease.

FewcasesofChagashavebeenreportedintheU.S.ReportsexistfromsouthernstatessuchasTexas,Louisiana,southernCalifornia,andTennessee.

Thekissingbugandtheassassinbughaveslightphysicaldifferences.Theheadandmouthpartsofthemaskedhunteraregenerallymorerounded,whiletheconenosebughasaslightlylongerhead/mouthpartsformingapointedend,or“conenose.”ConenosebugsaremorecommonlyencounteredinsouthernUtahcounties,butaredistributedthroughoutUtah.Maskedhuntersaremostcommonlyencounteredingarages,dirtyclosets,boilerrooms,andotherdirty,dustyhabitats.

For more info, check out:

Utah State Univ.: Masked Huntershttp://utahpests.usu.edu/files/uploads/UtahPests-Newsletter-summer13-2.pdf

UC Davis: Conenose Bugshttp://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7455.html

University of Arizona: Conenose Bugs http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/az1109.pdf

Above:Figure3.VisualComparsion:maskedhunteronleft(rounded“head”);conenosebugonright(pointed“head”).