Platymeris laevicollis ()

About

This spooky fellow is also known as the red-eyed assassin bug. It hails from central Africa, where it can be found inhabiting grasslands, scrublands and forest areas. This insect is a Hemipteran (true bug) from the family Reduviidae.

Bodies of these predators can reach about 4 centimetres in length. Red rings on their legs and two red spots on their wings adorn their black bodies. They also have big, crimson-red compound eyes, as well as a smaller pair of simple eyes between them, that help them sense light intensity changes. The body part between the top part of their wings, called "scutellum", has three spikes that lean inwards, giving it an extra spiky appearance.

These insects are excellent predators. To hunt down other insects, they pierce their bodies with a sharp beak, then dissolve the prey's insides with their saliva, digesting their tissues into a fluid. The fluid is sucked by the bug afterwards, leaving only an empty exoskeleton.

Insects from this genus are sometimes kept as pets due to their impressive appearance. Moreover, farmers use them to control pest populations on coconut plantations. It is best not to touch these guys as they can serve very painful bites.