Description: English: Stenolemus sp I noticed this very fine insect on the fence and was quite excited to see that it was a spider assassin. We have a number of spiders that build their webs on the fence to catch the flies that are attracted to the warmth. A study carried out in Sydney in 2010
www.wired.com/2010/10/assassin-bug-spider-prey/ describes the assassin sneaking into a web and then vibrating the web to pretend it was stuck, then seizing and eating the spider when the spider came to wrap up it's 'capture'. ~10mm 22 June 2015 update: Its an Empicoris rubromaculatus Taxonomy: Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Empicoris: rubromaculatus Common Names: Bugs, Reduviids, thread bug With thanks to Stephen Thorpe. BowerBird
www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/38169 Stephen Thorpe says "While certainly some emesines prey on spiders, these ones are probably just kleptopredators, feeding on small insects caught in the webs." Photos: Jean. Date: 20 June 2015, 14:46:41. Source:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jean_hort/18396334843/. Author:
jeans_Photos. Permission(
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Flickr API detail. Flickr sets Hemiptera. Flickr pools Field Guide to Insects of Australia. Flickr tags Garden Jean Assassin Spider assassin Hemiptera Animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Reduviidae: Empicoris: rubromaculatus Empicoris rubromaculatus. Flickr posted date21 June 2015.