Kissing bugs are globally widespread members of the family known as “assassin bugs.” They are not like the predatory assassin bugs which, despite their scary name, feed mainly on other insects and pose no threat to humans. Kissing bugs are parasitic blood-suckers who feed on mammals, including humans.
They are called kissing bugs because they tend to bite sleeping humans in the soft tissue around the mouth and eyes. Their saliva contains an anesthetic, rendering the bites painless.
In Arizona, kissing bugs often live in woodrat nests where they develop from hatching to adulthood. Once mature, with wings developed, adults take flight. They are nocturnal and are attracted to bright lights, so they often wind up at human homes, where they frequently try to gain entry. Their slender, flexible bodies can crawl through tiny cracks.
In parts of Central and South America, kissing bugs are the primary vectors of Chagas disease, a severe, sometimes lethal illness caused by a parasite transmitted in their feces. Thankfully, the kissing bug species found in Arizona are not known to transmit the disease.
Though they carry the same parasite, the Arizona bugs don’t poop where they eat, so the disease doesn’t transmit here – we can be grateful for their good manners!
Bites from Arizona kissing bugs are not without health concerns, however. They usually cause itching and swelling, and especially after multiple bites can lead to allergic reactions or even anaphylaxis. So, a severe reaction requires medical attention.
This Earth Note was written by Steve Schwartz and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
