I like common names too but they also lead to ID problems since the same
common name is sometimes applied to different species. And then you
have the reverse problem of people knowing different common names for
the same species. In the US, you have different names in different
parts of the country. It is like in "The Walking Dead" where different
groups have come up with their own common name for the zombies. Lastly, there are a zillion bugs out there that don't have common names. Many North American moths did not have common names until Peterson Guides would not publish Covell's moth book until Covell came up with names for them. So he and his family sat around a table and made up names.

Borror
& DeLong was one of the books I used when I did the bug ID class at
OSU. The university's insect collection is named after Dr.
Tripplehorn. AFAIK, he still hangs around the building where it is
stored but it has been two years since I've seen him. I have clue what
Dr. Johnson's story is. Anyway, when you take the bug ID class, you are
required to get the ID down to the family level. And I can speak from
experience that just getting my required collection IDed to family level
sucked up hours and hours and hours of my time.

There are 100+ species of Reduviidae in the US. More do ambush attacks than stalking. I believe all are going to stick their prey with their beak and feed through the beak. The ones that feed on the blood of vertebrates would have no interest in caterpillars.

KC Clark, i had to laugh a little about the bug collection. My daughter took aquatic insects last semester. The collection took her well over a hundred hours and I heard about it plenty in texts from her. In addition to that she spent hours drawing some mayflies "private parts". As for assassin bugs, I actually found my first wheel bug in the yard last year. And I was proud after reading that it's a good sign to have them. Seems there is a balance going on.

When I found out the collection just had to be taken down to family level, I thought it was going to be easy but to maximize my grade, I had to track down, capture, and ID insects I had never paid any attention. Springtails were the ones I remember the most. I'm looking for some super teeny bug that jumps a mile, then have to track where it lands, and then trap it in a test tube before it jumps again. Then I have one under a microscope for a while, trying to figure out what it is and the darn thing moves. I let out a little yelp and had everyone else looking at me. I had had it in the freezer to kill it but however long it was, it was not long enough.

I did not do any insects that were living in the water. I'd rather ID a dragonfly than a dragonfly nymph.

My backyard was wheel bug world a few years ago but they have been scarce or non-existent since then. :( The ol' boom bust cycle but they are a generalist predator so I'm guessing something that preys on them is doing well. Probably some teeny parasitoid.