Heteroptera
rss Giant water bug
This little dude (or dudette) scared the stuffing out of me! It was in out pool near Waco TX. Enjoy!
J Clark
Hi J,
Thanks for sending in a great image of a Giant Water Bug, aka Toe-Biter or Electric Light Bug. Lethocerus americanus has earned all its common names.
Bug love: Zelus longpipes Assassin Bugs Hi Bugman..
Found these two in my maple tree, feeling frisky. Thought you might like the picture for the bug love pages. We have lots of them around here (Katy, Texas) and identified them thanks to your great site! Ya’ll are great! Thanks so much! Luzie Benavides
Just west of Houston, Texas
Hi Luzie,
Thank you for sending in your excellent photo of the Milkweed Assassin Bugs, Zelus longipes, mating.
red mesquite bug
Hi there.
I live in southern Arizona and wonder about this fellow. He’s about an inch and a half long, seems to suck the young peas inside mesquite (velvet variety). Any idea? I run a newspaper, so, I’ll give your website credit with a description if you name him.
Thanks,
Joseph Birkett
Hi Joseph,
This is a Giant Mesquite Bug. About a year ago, we identified it as Thasus neocalifornicus. Bugguide currently has a very similar looking species identified as Thasus acutangulus. We are not certain if these are separate species or if the taxonomy is changing. To add confusion, we have also found internet references with the genus spelled Thassus, probably an error. At any rate, your photo is of an immature specimen. Adults have wings. They feed on juices from mesquite at all stages of development.
I have been finding these bugs on my Desert Willow tree and don’t know if they are something I should try to get rid of, or fear! What are they?
Thanks,
Lorri
Hi Lorri,
These are Leaf-Footed Bugs or Coreid Bugs in the genus Leptoglossus. You did not provide us with a location, so we are leery of giving a species identification. They suck plant juices.
Help with identification, please?
Hi, I just found your site…I can’t stand bugs but this is a great idea! We’ve seen these bugs just in the last year or two here around our home. We live just across the road from the Susquehanna River, in Northeast PA (about 40 miles from the capitol of Harrisburg.) And we live near a chicken farm (with trees between us and the farm.) This photo shows what I believe to be a baby –we call them "red and black bugs". They don’t fly but live in the trees and also collect on the top rail of our fence and on the roof of the kids’ playhouse. They are sometimes found on what we call a "nest" –a kind of dark colored, low profiled honeycomb looking thing attached to the tree bark. Not sure if this is where they live or where they store their food? They grow to be at least an inch long, and if I recall correctly, the red on their tail section becomes less pronounced. They’ve got this strange red tail section that sticks up in the air. They have 3 legs down each side, 2 long antenna, and a hook-like thing at their mouth, which in the first picture is extended outward. They seem to be able to tuck it in and out whenever they want to. When they see you coming, they make evasive maneuvers to get away from you and will not hesitate to jump down to the grass from their perch in order to get away. I have seen one or two eating/carrying bugs. Also, some have a black stripe down the back of their red tail section, and some don’t have that. This particular example has the black stripe. I guess if you could tell me if they’re harmful, bite, sting etc. and of course what they’re called, I would sure appreciate it…also, what we can do to get rid of them? Or just leave them be? Thanks so much, I look forward to your reply.
Marjorie
Hi Marjorie,
What a nice descriptive letter. You hit all the points we like people to tell us regarding the photos they send. This is an immature Wheel Bug. They are predators and very beneficial in gardens and orchards. They eat many harmful insects. On the down side, they can bite painfully, but the bite is not dangerous. Just don’t handle them. Adult Wheel Bugs have wings and can fly. They have a distinctive coglike crest which alludes to the common name.
A true bug?
Bugman,
I came across this bug on my sunflower, in Phoenix Az. My grandaughter( 
just loves bugs and wanted to play with him, she had a great time looking at the photos on your site. After reaching for the camera to snap it first, I scoured your site but still did not find it. It appears to be maybe a nymph of a true bug variety. Could not find a pic just like it though. Your help in identifying it would be most appreciated.
Thanks, Elaine
Hi Elaine,
Bee Assassins are True Bugs, but we have several pages devoted specifically to Assassin Bugs. Bee Assassins are in the genus Apiomerius. Careful, they will bite. Your specimen is a winged adult.
what is it?
I found this bug in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada. Never seen anything like it can you help me? Thanks
Jesse Knudson
Hi Jesse,
This is some species of immature Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae. Sorry, we can’t be more specific.
found this beetle on my front porch.
My son and I came home and found this beetle on our front porch. It is roughly an inch long. After checking it out we saw another one hanging around. I cannot find this bug any where on the internet or in books. Please help to identify it. We live in Southeast Tucson, AZ.
Thank you
John
Hi John,
Your visitor is not a beetle. It is an immature Giant Mesquite Bug.
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