Masked Hunter

Reduvius personatus

Fact Sheet: English, Spanish.

Masked Hunter

Adult masked hunter (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)

masked hunter

Camouflaged masked hunter nymph covered in debris (Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org)

Masked Hunter

Masked hunter eggs (Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org)

Identification

  • 9/10 inch long
  • dark brown to black
  • slender body
  • immatures camouflage by covering themselves in dirt and debris

Nesting Habits

  • garages, dirty closets, boiler rooms and other dirty, dusty areas
  • occasionally enter bedrooms

Diet

  • other arthropods

Significance

  • occasionally found indoors and may bite, even if unprovoked
  • considered a beneficial predatory insect
  • does NOT transmit Chagas disease

IPM Recommendations

  • Use door sweeps on all doors leading outside or into a garage or storage area.
  • Eliminate other insects that serve as a food source.
  • Vacuum regularly.
  • Change exterior lighting to sodium vapor light bulbs.