It was a case of mistaken identity. The creature with a license to kill somehow took me for its intended target, despite the fact that it is about a quarter of an inch long and I am 5'3". I also outweigh both it and its intended victim by ... I'll just say a considerable fraction.
The victim: an innocent gardener, no enemy to predatory insects or their bloodthirsty way of life.
The bite: reported by the victim as similar to a yellow jacket sting, but not as long lasting. Surprisingly powerful considering the small size of the suspect.
The suspect: Assassin bug. Species unknown. The suspect was not apprehended and fled from the scene, aided - ironically - by the victim (with a flick of the fingernail accompanied by a shout of "Ugh! Get off me!"). Suspect is believed to be a member of a large gang of various species of assassin bugs. An associate was previously photographed on the premises (see above). Current suspect is believed to be a similar species. Victim unfortunately unable to identify more specifically than "small and brown with a narrow head and large abdomen." Under stress, victim is prone to not taking much notice of identification details of small insects, despite exhibiting reasonable observational skills at other times.
Extenuating circumstances: Victim admits that suspect somehow or other got trapped under victim's shirt. It may have been self-defense.
