Jeremy Martin
July 2026 - Pale Assassin
About the Image(s)
I have a lot of these White Trillium flowers that grow in my woods and it’s always interesting to see what you find on them. In this case we have the nymph of a Pale Green Assassin Bug (Zelus luridus). From Wikipedia “Like many other assassin bugs, Zelus luridus preys on other insects. It will often wait on leaves to ambush passing insects, but occasionally it also actively hunts. For this, it uses sticky traps, a common predation strategy to species within the genus Zelus.” I try not to handle any assassin bugs as their bite is extremely painful!
5 comments posted
You wisely kept your distance and got a great photo of this assasin. I like the detail and the composition. What is the ratio on this photo? It works but I was just wondering. Posted: 07/07/2026 13:23:47
Jeremy, A beautiful sharp image of the flower and an Assassin Bug on it , looking for a meal. Interesting information about the bug. Posted: 07/14/2026 15:56:04
Great shot and I am glad you avoided the bite of the Assassin. As a refinement I would try a little noise reduction. Posted: 07/19/2026 13:21:50
Nice capture Jeremy! The position of Assassin bug is perfect. It sits on the edge of the flower petal where the whiteness contrast with the greenest of the insect. The creamy green background frames the Assassin bug very well. Posted: 07/20/2026 04:22:06
Great framing. I like the almost-centered placement of the trillium. The only thing I would suggest is maybe cropping down a bit from the top. I'll be sure to watch for these next spring when the trillium are again in our woods. Posted: 07/20/2026 17:36:43