Insectorium Thread.

[Calilasseia]

Western Conifer Seed Bugs aren't venomous. Plus, the proboscis of this species is incapable of penetrating human skin, so it's probably not going to have much effect on a kitten. The bugs you're referring to are Assassin Bugs (Family Reduviidae), and they don't have inflated hind tibiae.

Incidentally, some Assassin Bugs, such as Reduvius personatus, are actively encouraged in some rural households, or even purpose bred, as they're effective and efficient hunters of various pests. They're particularly fond of eating Bed Bugs, which makes them extremely welcome if you ever find yourself with a Bed Bug infestation, and you don't want to spray the place with insecticides that can affect your pets.

The ones to keep a careful watch for, are members of a Subfamily known as the Triatominae. These are blood feeders, rather than true predators, and these can act as vectors for Chagas Disease. If you see a Triatomine species, feel free to eliminate it on safety grounds.

Assassin Bugs have a very prominent recurved structure that emerges from the front of the head, containing the proboscis, and curls under the head and body, which can be swung forwards for deployment during predation. These bugs inject a venomous saliva into their insect victims, which kills and digests the prey. The Assassin Bug then sucks the digested, liquefied contents of the dead prey through the proboscis for food. Assassin Bugs exhibit a variety of body shapes, but the stiff proboscis sheath is usually pretty visible on these species.

[Calilasseia]

Here's one from South Africa that shows the recurved proboscis sheath quite nicely, when you view the image at full size:



Notice that this structure is jointed, and therefore allows the Assassin Bug to find a weak spot in the chitinous outer integument of its prey to insert the tip into, before using the powerful musculature of the proboscis sheath to drive the entire structure into the prey. Some of these species can take on prey considerably larger than themselves, and the saliva of that South African species is capable of leaving an inflamed sore in a human hand that persists for months. Being more than adequately equipped to defend itself against molestation by potential predators, it's marked with nice conspicuous black and red markings. Usually, the species that are capable of being troublesome with respect to painful piercing and subsequent envenomation, are conspicuously marked.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

They should not come near the kittens. EOF

[Pappa]

Western Conifer Seed Bugs aren't venomous. Plus, the proboscis of this species is incapable of penetrating human skin, so it's probably not going to have much effect on a kitten. The bugs you're referring to are Assassin Bugs (Family Reduviidae), and they don't have inflated hind tibiae.

Incidentally, some Assassin Bugs, such as Reduvius personatus, are actively encouraged in some rural households, or even purpose bred, as they're effective and efficient hunters of various pests. They're particularly fond of eating Bed Bugs, which makes them extremely welcome if you ever find yourself with a Bed Bug infestation, and you don't want to spray the place with insecticides that can affect your pets.

The ones to keep a careful watch for, are members of a Subfamily known as the Triatominae. These are blood feeders, rather than true predators, and these can act as vectors for Chagas Disease. If you see a Triatomine species, feel free to eliminate it on safety grounds.

Assassin Bugs have a very prominent recurved structure that emerges from the front of the head, containing the proboscis, and curls under the head and body, which can be swung forwards for deployment during predation. These bugs inject a venomous saliva into their insect victims, which kills and digests the prey. The Assassin Bug then sucks the digested, liquefied contents of the dead prey through the proboscis for food. Assassin Bugs exhibit a variety of body shapes, but the stiff proboscis sheath is usually pretty visible on these species.

I used to keep Assassin Bugs (Platymeris rhadamanthus). I never got them to breed though, unfortunately.

[Calilasseia]

Meanwhile, how's this for a close up? Green Shield Bug, Palomena prasina, adult. Those red compound eyes are approximately ½mm in diameter.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Saw a BIG bug yesterday. Pix pend rediscovery.

[Atheist-Lite]

Any ideas what this critter is?

[MiM]

Just marking

[Calilasseia]

Any ideas what this critter is?

Orthoptera. For a possible species ID, I'd need more info. Location etc. If it's American, then BugGuide could probably help, but you'd probably find yourself wading through 15,000 photos of various grasshoppers and katydids looking for a match.

[Atheist-Lite]

I suspected a kind of locust.

[JimC]

If you're looking for inspiration, look up Euchloron megaera. Here's an example image thereof:

Cali, you would love the butterfly house at the Melbourne Zoo...

Simply awesome...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

If you're looking for inspiration, look up Euchloron megaera. Here's an example image thereof:

Ummmm, Mothra porn.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Grabbed from a bulletin board, so it's a bit fuzzy, but still funny.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Posted on FB by Milky Way Scientists.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

Whoa.