Assassin Bug vs Buffalo Treehopper

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Assassin Bug Buffalo Treehopper
Scientific Name Zelus renardii Stictocephala bisonia
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Reduviidae Membracidae
Size 12-20 mm 6-8 mm
Habitat Farmland Orchards
Diet Predators Fruit Feeders
Regions North America, South America North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Assassin Bug

Ambush predators that impale prey with their curved beak and inject lethal saliva. Some species coat their legs with sticky plant resin to trap prey. Named for their hunting strategy.

💡

Did You Know?

Some assassin bugs stack the corpses of their prey on their backs as camouflage and armor — creating a gruesome shield of dead ants and other insects.

Buffalo Treehopper

A small, bright green treehopper with a distinctive triangular pronotum that makes it resemble a miniature American bison when viewed from above. It is a minor pest of fruit trees.

💡

Did You Know?

The buffalo treehopper communicates with others by sending substrate-borne vibrations through plant stems, essentially using the plant itself as a telephone line.