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Leah

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Found in my kitchen in SW Missouri.. identification would be great. It was about 1/8" long.

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I have no idea which species it could be, but to me it looks like a reduviid of some sort (assassin bug). It should be able to handle a prey item its own size or even slightly larger, if you want to feed it.

 
I didnt keep it. It was just on the tiles in my kitchen when I was up late feeding geckos..

Interesting anyway, I never realized how different the insect populations are across regions of the US.

Does it use the front pair of legs to eat?

 
Looks like a "wheel bug" to me. An assassin.

Edit: After googling wheel bug, it looks similar but not the same. But still definitely looks assassin. But like Rick, I'd be putting it in the ring with a mantid and watch them go the rounds.

 
I sometimes find silverfish in the house. They go straight in with the mantids.

 
That looks like a juvenile assassin bug, i have came across many in SW TX, usually adult assasin with wings, they attack crickets just like an aggressive Lineola, and roll on the ground a few times before the prey end the struggle. Fun to watch.

 
How big is an adult? What do they look like as adults?

I guess I always thought of assasins as more of a beetle...

I'd love to know more about them if anyone would like to share.

 
Hi,

I have kept the assasin bug called Platymeris biguttatus, they are so cool, and if you feed them enough you can keep them together in "groups"

Some in Denmark has written a article where the guy who also has kept this specie tells that he has been feeding his "group" of assasins with big Blaberus sp (cockroach) Most off the assasins went straigth on the cockroach and started feeding on it. COOL :shock:

I can highly recommend the keeping of these cool bugs, there are great fun!

Yen Saw: Is it this specie you have where you live? (The assasin on the pic on top of the board)

Best regards,

Barvid

 
Hi,

In denmark it has been called Platymeris biguttatus for many years, so if you are rigth i sure need to be updated. Thx for the info :D

Cheers,

Barvid

 
Sorry been away for a while. The assassin bug that is pretty common here looks like the pic below:

Assbug.jpg


They are about 1" -1.5" as adult. I kept a few once but release them before winter last year, cool bugs.

But i will not risk giving them to mantis as food, cos they may attack and kill mantis.

 

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