Meet the millipede assassin bug (Rhiginia bimaculata), a fascinating predatory insect found across Central and South America. Living up to its grim name, this bug—along with its close cousins in the genus Rhiginia—is a highly specialized executioner of millipedes. Hunting millipedes is a dangerous game, as they are famous for oozing foul-tasting, highly toxic defense chemicals like cyanide. To bypass this, Rhiginia assassin bugs have developed immunity to these toxins. They overcome their prey’s tough, armored body plates by driving their sharp stylet directly into the vulnerable, soft membranes between the segments. Instead of a simple bite, the bug injects a cocktail of paralyzing salivary enzymes that liquefies the millipede’s internal tissues from the inside out. Once the prey is neutralized, the bug slurps up its melted meal via extraoral digestion. I came across this ultra-specialized predator during one of my many visits to the La Perla protected forest in the Santo Domingo province of Ecuador.