rss PA Bug
Bugman,
What was this ? the orange one appeared to be eating the other one. Assassin bugs? Which is female and male?
Seen Bloomsburg,PA on 8/1/04.
thanks
Rich
Hi Rich,
Your photo is too out of focus to be certain, but it appears that it depicts an adult Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, on the right, newly emerged from the discarded skin or exoskeleton of the nymph stage on the left. The Wheel Bug will turn gray as its new exoskeleton hardens.
Hello bugman,
I have found this critter on three occasions and I cannot identify it from my search on the net. The first was found in the bathroom and he was promptly disposed of mainly because he landed on my leg. The second was found again in the bathroom, but this one was on the floor and very slow moving. He was held for interrogation but I couldn’t get anything out of him. The third (pictured) was found about a week later in the basement, but he was already dead. None have been found since (approx 2 weeks). My pictures are not great, but from a rough description he has wings, short antennae, a snout, and 3/4" long. From my search I thought maybe he was a wood boring beetle, which concerns me as I have a fairly old house that I only moved into a few months back. However if he’s not a wood borer then I’m also concerned as I’d like to know if they’ve come from outside or in… Located in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Dear Canada,
We just heard from Eric Eaton who corrected us on this one. It “is actually an adult masked hunter, Reduvius personatus, which hunts bedbugs, not humans, thank God:-)” Bugs from this group are also known as masked hunters because they are sticky and often accumulate dust, as your specimen demonstrates.
Not a nice bug
This morning (8/3/04) I had an ugly encounter with this bug. It bit me on the back of the neck. I think it might be an assassin bug because it resembles the pictures of the other assassin bugs on your site. However, the colors on it are very bright yellows and neon greens on black. The first set of legs are thick and curved; the rest are thin and straight. It has the mouth parts of an assassin. Its bite felt like a BAD bee sting. I thought that I would share and see if you could confirm what it is. I have it displayed on the bulletin board for my fifth grade class and I would love to be able to tell them with certainty what it is.
Thank You,
Meredith Barthel
Hi Meredith,
You have an Ambush Bug, Family Phymatidae. These are True Bugs and closely related to Assasin Bugs, hence the similarity in appearance. According to Borror and Delong: “The Phymatids are small stout-bodied bugs with raptorial front legs. … Most of the Ambush Bugs are about 1/2 inch in length or less, yet they are able to capture insects as large as fair-sized bumble bees. they lie in wait for their prey on flowers, particularly goldenrod, where they are excellently concealed by their greenish yellow color. They feed principally on relatively large bees, wasps, and flies.” They do have venom, hence the pain in your bite. As you know, their bite is painful, but not dangerous. I believe your species is Phymata erosa.
Computer Bug
Hi there ! Today a bit of a dust-ball rolled out from a crevice in a computer I am working on… and it turns out it’s alive! Location is North Central Nebraska, quite arrid of late though not the drought we had last year thank God!
I spent WAY TOO MUCH TIME looking hither and yon only to finally find your site which at the very least will Try to tell you what something is instead of just ask you silly questions until they mechanically pronounce it a ‘bug’. I am investing great faith in you, I took these on a wide ruled dayplanner and in some cases there is a standard sized pen in the background for size, against a ruler it measures approx .3 cm and has six legs. It really does look like dust moving around on the paper, excepting it’s long back legs and ultra-fine antennea – which seem to have a thicker base and then whip out, not segmented. The middle and forelegs are quite short and the thorax (if that’s what it is) is very small, or the thorax is just an extension of what appears to be a very small abdomen. Coloration seems to be mostly even with no markings underneath that I’ve been able to discern (it does NOT like upsidedown 
It ambulates on all six legs somewhat like a grasshopper walking, yet it has not demonstrated a jump nor even any burst of speed, heck at one point I gently pushed it backward with a pencap and it just stood it’s ground heh heh. So… any ideas? I’d LOVE to know what it is… so far all I’ve ruled out is Arachanid … but since it may very well be larval I cannot dismiss winged critter of indeterminate type LOL.
Looking forward to your response,
Blessings
Michael
Hi Michael,
I absolutely love your letter. We pride ourselves on our attempts, sometimes feeble, at accuracy, but more on our user friendly format. You have a Masked Hunter, Reduvius personatus, a type of Assassin Bug from the family Reduviidae. These are True Bugs and they they are predatory. They are often found indoors where they prey on Bedbugs, but they are fully capable of delivering a painful bite to people who carelessly handle them. They get their common name because they have the habit of accumulating lint on their heads and bodies, and hence become masked.
Hi bugman,
My fiancé and I moved into our new home in December. We’re in a very rural, wooded Central Pennsylvania . All of a sudden, within the past five days…these spiders have emerged and they are EVERYWHERE. They seem to be aggressive, but I haven’t gotten too close. They are all over my plants, flowers, deck , and outbuildings. Do you know what they are?
Thanks!!!
Jennifer
Well Jennifer,
They aren’t spiders, but Assassin Bugs. They are immature and will grow wings. They are beneficial in the garden since they ravenously eat many garden pests, however, if mishandled, they will give you a painful bite. Treat them with respect and they will not bother you and your garden will be pest free.
I was hoping that you could help me Identify a new bug that we’ve recently found in our yard. I’ve never seen this bug before and this summer it is all over our yard. I live in South Texas . It’s not very long, about 1⁄2 an inch or so, and looks like it has under developed wings on it’s back. Thanks for your help.
Tonia
Hi Tonia,
You have sent in a beautiful photo of an Assassin Bug nymph, Family Reduviidae. I cannot give you an exact species. These bugs are friends of the gardener. They have ravenous appetites and will help control harmful insect pests in your yard naturally. There is a minor downside. Treat them with respect. They can inflict a painful bite with that sucking mouth of theirs. There is an irritant that is released when the bug bites, probably associated with digestion, but the effect is mild. Once again, the bite is painful.
I found this bug on an egg plant leaf outside late last night it is approx 1 1/2 in long and 1/2 in thick we put it into a clear container with a small worm/caterpillar and this morning we watched it suck it dry. it looks like a giant stink bug with a snout like a butterfly for sucking and horned back.
(ed. note: The only way we were able to access these images was to rephotograph them from our computer screen, so the quality is poor.
You have a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, a member of the Assasin Bug Family Reduviidae. These large true bugs can be recognized by the cog like wheel on their backs. They are friends of gardeners since they eagerly feed on many garden pests, like the caterpillar you put in the jar. Those sucking mouthparts can deliver a painful bite if the bug is carelessly handled.
I was out pulling weeds in the garden and something stung me or bit me and this is what we found any Ideals as to what it is? Conserned for my grandchildren is it dangerous?
Mary Thank for your time.
Hi Mary,
It is a species of Assassin Bug, but I can’t tell which because of the poor focus. They give a painful bite, but are actually harmless. They are good in the garden because they will eat other insects that damage plants. Just learn to treat them with respect and you won’t be bitten again. Teach your grandchildren not to handle them and they won’t be bitten, but again, they are harmless.
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