Not a bug you will see often, and one worth knowing by sight. Flat, dark, thumb sized, with a rim of orange or red marks along the edge of the body and a long cone-shaped head. It feeds at night, painlessly, often on the face, which is where the name comes from.
Where you’ll see it
In and around older rural buildings: cracked adobe, palm thatch, wood piles and animal pens. Attracted to lights at night. Rare in a sealed, screened house.
What to know
The bite itself is harmless. The problem is that the bug defecates while feeding and its droppings can carry the parasite that causes Chagas disease, which enters through the bite or the eyes when the sleeper rubs the spot. Infection is uncommon and treatable when caught early.
If you find one, do not crush it on bare skin. Trap it under a glass, wash any bite with soap and water, and if you were bitten, mention it to a doctor. Seal cracks, move wood piles away from the walls and screen the bedrooms, and the risk drops to nearly nothing.
