Four-Spurred Assassin Bug

Four-Spurred Assassin Bug

Zelus tetracanthus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Washington

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

15 Verified sightings at Washington
59 In all 6 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Four-Spurred Assassin Bug

Zelus tetracanthus, the four-spurred assassin bug, is a species of assassin bug in the family Reduviidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, and South America. Adults are brown, black, or gray and have a body length of 10–16 mm. Their antennae and legs are long and slender. They have a row of four spurs across their thorax. Both adults and nymphs use a sticky secretion to capture prey. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ciudad Juárez 🇲🇽 México
~10%
2 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Las Vegas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Austin 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 San Antonio 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug in Washington?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 952nd most-seen of the 1807 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug in Washington?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug in Washington on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Four-Spurred Assassin Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Washington the best place to see a Four-Spurred Assassin Bug?

18th of 22

Of the 22 cities where we can rate Four-Spurred Assassin Bug sightings, Washington ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in Ciudad Juárez (México, about 10%), Mesa (United States, about 10%) and Las Vegas (United States, about 10%).

Where does the Four-Spurred Assassin Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Four-Spurred Assassin Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Washington (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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