| Holotrichius innesi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Reduviidae |
| Genus: | Holotrichius |
| Species: | H. innesi |
| Binomial name | |
| Holotrichius innesi Horvath, 1909 | |
Holotrichius innesi (known as the afrur in part of its range) is an assassin bug found in some Middle Eastern countries. When touched, this insect emits a varying number of stridulating noises in double pulses. [1]
In the deserts of Israel the afrur ("dirt" in colloquial Hebrew, from its habit of covering itself with dirt) is believed to have a powerful venom, and that it is possibly to blame for deaths attributed to snake and scorpion envenomation. However, no deaths have been formally attributed to it. [2]
