''Platymeris laevicollis'' is a venomous predatory true bug from

central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, ...

that can be found in forests, scrublands, grasslands, and croplands. They are efficient predators and are used by farmers on coconut plantations to control herbivorous pests such as the rhinoceros beetle. As a true bug of the order

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

, it has needle-like mouth parts designed for sucking juices out of plants or other insects instead of chewing. '' P. laevicollis'' has sharp stylets in its proboscis or rostrum used to pierce the

exoskeleton An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...

of its prey. Saliva is then injected into the prey which liquifies its tissues, and the rostrum is then used to suck out the digested fluids. If disturbed, it is capable of a defensive bite considered to be more painful than a bee sting. The insect is also known as the red-eyed assassin bug.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7202666 Reduviidae Insects of Africa Insects described in 1919