# unidentifies insect



## garbonzo13 (Sep 7, 2005)

I have caught about 15-20 hatchling mystery bugs. The egg cases were laid singly in a row, amber in color. They were laid 7-9 days ago and have already hatched. They look like amber colored aphids about 2/16 of an inch in length. They have antenae that are about the same length as the body. I cannot post a pic. Found them on my screen still at egg cases. Anyone have any idea what they are? I did find a milkweed bug in my garage the other day dead, or what looked like a milkweed bug that Andrew posted.


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## Ian (Sep 8, 2005)

Have you got any pix of them?

Cheers,

Ian


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## infinity (Sep 8, 2005)

Yeah, I'd agree that it's a bug of some sort... From what you say it's one that appears to be going through an incomplete metamorphosis so obviously is not hymenoptera, coleoptera, diptera or lepidoptera... You'd recognise phasmids, mantodea, blattodea, mecoptera... so it probably isn't them... Obviously it's not living under water so that rules out odonata, and obviously mosquitoes (diptera again)... and I'm guessing these things are about 2 mm from egg so that rules out silverfish and all those *micro* insects so yeah, I'd agree with the bug guess.

The thing that stumps me is the location of the eggs... why would any bug lay on an inanimate object?!

Can't really be of more help unless you have a pic or are willing to use a very powerful magnifying glass to check out antenna segments, body shape, distinguishing features etc...


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## garbonzo13 (Sep 8, 2005)

Sorry, no pics, Don't have a camera that will take them..too small. They seem to be aphid like in body shape, like teardrops. Orange-amber in color. It stumps me because the eggs were laid in a row, not a cluster. I thought they might be assasins also, but they lay in clusters from what I have gathered on the internet. Wish I had a camera to get close-up shots. Oh yeah, since being captive in a deli cup they stay in groups of 2-4 with their backs to each other.


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## infinity (Sep 8, 2005)

could try feeding them... if you suspect they're assassins, and based on the fact that they weren't laid on a food-source, that's quite likely, then try raising them  -same principle as a mantid, use something that is maybe a third its size and see what happens. I'd try for small ants, thrips, silverfish and smallaphids at first. It's also likely that since they're not running around the contianer, they're either communal hunters or the outward facing pose is their defense pose... still looking


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## garbonzo13 (Sep 8, 2005)

As I was looking for the "mystery Bug", I came across this strange thing called a "Mantisfly" :shock: . Anyone ever heard of one of these? They report they are somewhat rare.http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a336/krucann/mantfly.jpg This STRANGE CREATURE IS NOT WHAT I FOUND. I was just interested in it.


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## Peekaboo (Sep 8, 2005)

We have heard of these! *Clicky*


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