beetle? in Minnesota…sorry
Dear Bugman,
These bugs seem to come out of nowhere. I’ve tried to i.d. them without adding to your long list of requests, but no luck. Thanks so much for this great website. It’s terrific.
Morgan in Minnesota
Hi Morgan,
This is not a beetle. It is an Assassin Bug known as the Masked Hunter, Reduvius personatus. The immature insects are sticky and attract lint, masking them from potential enemies. Masked Hunters are predators and one of their favorite foods are Bed Bugs, making Masked Hunters welcome additions in the home. According to BugGuide: “Adults can inflict a painful bite if mishandled. Individuals may occasionally enter homes in search of invertebrate prey but they have no interest in humans, do not feed on blood, and do not transmit any diseases.”
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Posted 16 June 2007
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crusty the bug
Any information regarding this specimen would be much appreciated. I found the little guy in my basement. At first I thought it was a small spider (it moved like a spider as well). It also rights itself when on it’s back similar to a crayfish of lobster. Weird little thing eh Thanks for your time,
Dave from Winnipeg, Canada
Hi Dave,
This is a Masked Bedbug Hunter, one of the Assassin Bugs. Immature Masked Hunters are sticky and all manner of lint sticks to them and masks them.
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Posted 18 May 2007
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Can you identify this?
Hi – can you help?
Over the last few years we’ve found three or four of these in our home. As it’s an old house (about 300 years old) I’m a bit worried that they might might be doing damage to hidden woodwork, but I don’t want to harm them if possible. They don’t seem to have any wings, and mostly they don’t move although they can shift fast when they need to. They have flattened concave bodies and flattened limbs, and they almost look as though they’re covered in dust. I’ve tried to identify them from keys and from pictures, including those on your wonderful site, but I haven’t got anywhere.
Mike
Hi Mike,
This is a species of Assassin Bug known as a Masked Bedbug Hunter, Reduvius personatus. The immature insects have a sticky surface that collects dust and lint, masking them.
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Posted 22 April 2007
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Assasin beetle pics
I think this is a Wheel Bug. Your site rocks! THANK YOU! Animals in general are awe inspiring. Arthropods are especially interesting. Enjoy!
neanderpaul
Dear Neanderpaul,
Yes, this is a Wheel Bug. As a point of clarification, Wheel Bugs are Assassin Bugs, but they are not beetles. True Bugs have incomplete metamorphosis where nymphs look like adults, and beetles have a complete, four stage metamorphosis.
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Posted 21 April 2007
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what is this?
hi there
i found this bug in my home yesterday and 3 more today. it’s about half an inch long. it’s got a bright orange body and black head and legs. it looks scary because it’s really bright warning orange and i’m afraid that it’s poisonous. i live in singapore (in south east asia) which is hot and humid all year round. i’ve never seen a bug like this before in my home and i hope it isn’t poisonous because i’ve got cats. the pictures should show a good morphology but the color isn’t so good so i attached a little swatch of digital color closest to the color of the insect. there are no white dots on the insect, it’s just the light from the camera. if it’s poisonous, what can i do to get rid of it? the bug in the picture is dead btw. thanks in advance!
cheers
samantha
Hi Samantha,
This is an immature Assassin Bug. They are not poisonous, but can bite.
MY NEW FAMILY MEMBER
THIS LITTLE GUY HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE ON THE TOP OF MY COMPUTER MONITOR.(HE HAS BEEN THERE FOR 2 DAYS NOW JUST WALKING AROUND EXPLORING). HE ALMOST DROWNED IN MY COFFEE CUP UNTIL I RESCUED HIM. NOW BACK TO NORMAL (IT SEEMS) I KIND OF LIKE THE LITTLE GUY. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT HE IS AND WHAT SHOULD I DO TO KEEP HIM FROM STARVING TO DEATH. BTW…I NAMED HIM LARRY. THANKS FOR A GREAT WEBSITE.
JOHN
Hi John,
Larry is an Assassin Bug and Larry wants to eat insects.
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Posted 13 March 2007
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Thank you. Pic of Pselliopus sp.
Just wanted to thank you folks for the great site. After spending alot of time pulling hair searching the web for "orange bug" I found your site and was able to identify the bugs I came across while in the garage. I have included a picture of one of the several Assassin bugs (Pselliopus sp.) I found and identified thanks to your site. Thanks again,
Robert
Hi Robert,
Thank you for your kind letter and the photo of a Pselliopus Assassin Bug you contributed to our site.
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Posted 09 March 2007
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What’s This Bug?
~HarrysAllOut
Hi HarrysAllOut,
We must say we are curious what you are out about. We are also glad that all of our contributors aren’t as thrifty with words as you are of we would not have much of a site. This is an immature Milkweed Assassin Bug Nymph.
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Posted 05 March 2007
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Wheel bug mom
Thought you might enjoy this wheel bug that nested near my shop last spring.
Keith
Hi Keith,
This is the first photo we have ever gotten of the adult female Wheel Bug with her eggs.
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Posted 26 February 2007
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bizarroid
This just in…. not. We found this character on the side of a house in NE Pennsylvania in August of 2000, in the days before we figured out how to focus the camera we had at the time. Never saw another like it. For years we’ve just looked back at the photo and laughed — what could it be? Why did it seem lichen-encrusted? Now, of course, there’s your extraordinary website, so we’re hoping for an ID. Whaddayasay?
Jim & Sandy
NYC
bizarroid found on your site
Never mind this one. Found it on your site — a Masked Bedbug Hunter if I’ve ever seen one.
Hi again Jim and Sandy,
How nice to see you don’t take all of your great photos in Puerto Rico. Also very happy you successfully identified your Masked Bedbug Hunter on our site.
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Posted 10 February 2007
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Praying Mantis NZ
Hello,
I am in Dunedin New Zealand and I have found a facinating looking Praying Mantis. It is approximately 13 – 15mm long and looks like a mosquito at first glance. The photos do not show it well but the legs are covered in fine hairs, and it has long antennae coming off its tiny head. As far as i knew there were only two types of Mantis in New Zealand, and I’ve never seen anything like this before. Can you tell me what it is?
Chirsty Brett.
Hi Chirsty,
This is not a Mantid. It is a Thread-Legged Assassin Bug, one of the Hemipterans or True Bugs. It looks very similar to the genus Stenolemus pictured on BugGuide. Sasha Azevedo who posted the photos there has researched the following information, but sadly, did not credit the source: “The Stenolemus assassin bugs hunt spiders by aggressively mimicking insects caught in the web.”
Update: (02/05/2007)
Thread-Legged Assassin Bug from New Zealand
Hi Bugman,
In response to your recent poster’s message regarding Stenolemus and aggressive mimicry, I left no source because I gathered information from a few statements and put it into my own words. However, if you’re interested in the link that was used, this is it below. Good luck. 
Sincerely,
Sasha Azevedo (
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Posted 01 February 2007
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creepy little red bug
Hey Bugman-
What is this thing called? I think it’s an assassin bug nymph, but I’m not sure what kind. They love my herb garden, and I’ve read that they are beneficial. I’ve been on the receiving end of that nasty proboscis, but if they eat aphids, I guess they can stay! Thought you might like this picture- you can zoom in even closer if you want to- then he looks really creepy!! Love your website!
Samantha
San Antonio, Texas
Hi Samantha,
After attempting to open your photo file five times, we succeeded. This is an immature Assassin Bug in the genus Zelus. It is probably Zelus longipes, the Milkweed Assassin Bug, that is common in Texas. While Assassin Bugs are beneficial predators in the garden, they will deliver a nasty bite to the unwary.
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Posted 31 January 2007
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