Assassin bug?

[cdcrocks]

Is this lil guy an assassin bug, or is it something else that eats plants and is better off as mantis food?

He's yet to eat a fruit fly, but I just caught him so he might just be stressed. He's drinking LOTS of water with his cool foldy straw mouth thing.

Sorry for the bad pictures, I used the closest container to me that wasn't exactly the cleanest. And I'm not comfortable letting him on the table until I know he won't skewer me. I could try though, if these aren't good enough.

That ruler is measuring centimeters, by the way.

Edit- found another, looks like an adult of the same species.

 

[cdcrocks]

Answered my own question with a bit more research. It's a leaf footed bug. It eats plants so it looks like they'll be lunch for my biggest nymphs tomorrow. Still a pretty cool looking creature.

 

[rickyveloz33]

I think u should keep it. It does look pretty cool.

 

[cdcrocks]

Trouble is, I'm not sure what they eat. And almost all plant eaters I keep don't live too long, I'm too lazy to go outside and find food for them. That's a big part of why I like mantises, the food can be easily bred or bought, and I took them on a road trip with me a week ago. Unless I could take a plant, herbivores would starve.

 

[Orin]

Try snap peas from the grocery store. They look like Thasus sp.

 

[cdcrocks]

I let them go free. They've got better chances out there on their own than with me.