Microtomus purcis

C

Cariblatta

Sixth Instar
Beautiful North American assassin.

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Are the different colors different instars, different species, or different genders? Or just individual differences? Are you starting a colony?

 
wcbpolish said:
Are the different colors different instars, different species, or different genders? Or just individual differences? Are you starting a colony?
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Black ones are nymphs, red ones are newly molted (teneral) adults, and the ones with white wings are hardened adults, and yes, I'm trying to establish a captive bred colony of this species from my wild collected specimens :)

 
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Cariblatta said:
Black ones are nymphs, red ones are newly molted (general) adults, and the ones with white wings are hardened adults, and yes, I'm trying to establish a captive bred colony of this species from my wild collected specimens :)
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Very cool. I thought that most assassin bugs were from Africa. Something else to look for when I am out and about, I guess.

 
wcbpolish said:
Very cool. I thought that most assassin bugs were from Africa. Something else to look for when I am out and about, I guess.
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Insects are diverse and live all over the world or one family usually lives most of the continents I think. Some people think that spiders only live in one place in the US and stuff like that and I am like What!!? lol. The assassin bug family has 7000 species all together it says on Wikipedia.https://en.wikipedia...wiki/Reduviidae

 
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I should have thought of that. But, just as hissing roaches are confined to Madagascar, I perceived that most assassins were from Africa. I know that there are other hemipterans in North America, I just did not realize we had this group as well.

Does anyone know if there are any in the midwest, and if so, was habitats to look for them?

 
wcbpolish said:
I should have thought of that. But, just as hissing roaches are confined to Madagascar, I perceived that most assassins were from Africa. I know that there are other hemipterans in North America, I just did not realize we had this group as well.

Does anyone know if there are any in the midwest, and if so, was habitats to look for them?
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I see them on flowers and in leaves in the forests and I think it would be similar where you are (I am in the east US which probably has a nicer climate).
 
Cariblatta said:
Thank you :)

I'm really hoping that i'll be able to breed these guys and establish a culture in captivity since they are quite rare.
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There are quite a few pictures of this species on bugguide. You can find captive breeding data for this species and a few photos in the 2001 Assassins & Waterscorpions booklet. Your goal to establish a culture is doable but they are more time intensive than say Platymeris. Maybe you could discover a way to keep them that does not require inordinate effort.
 
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I can remember catching assassin bugs 30 odd years ago - when I was growing up in Ocala, Florida. I would catch them and throw them in the air to see if they would fly. Needless to say, I got nailed sometimes in the process. The feeling was the most memorable "stabbing" pain of all the bugs that nailed me as a kid. It was on the same level of pain as the fuzzy buzzy "cattle killers" but, weirdly different. The species you keep has such amazing color. I love the progressive display toward imago. Nature gives us so many gifts to admire. Thanks for the great pics. It'd be cool to see updates on your progress. Either way, thanks agin for sharing and good luck with them.

 
Invertebrated said:
I can remember catching assassin bugs 30 odd years ago - when I was growing up in Ocala, Florida. I would catch them and throw them in the air to see if they would fly. Needless to say, I got nailed sometimes in the process. The feeling was the most memorable "stabbing" pain of all the bugs that nailed me as a kid. It was on the same level of pain as the fuzzy buzzy "cattle killers" but, weirdly different. The species you keep has such amazing color. I love the progressive display toward imago. Nature gives us so many gifts to admire. Thanks for the great pics. It'd be cool to see updates on your progress. Either way, thanks agin for sharing and good luck with them.
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That's an interesting childhood experience. I've been stung by them once and it really wasn't a pleasing experience. lol

Here's a little progress over the past few weeks :)

Got 4 nymphs to hatch and more are coming on the way.

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