What are these?

[Sue]

Yeah. What are these?

They like to stand around on my plants. They stand around together, sometimes in groups of 10 or 15, usually on undersides of leaves, but sometimes just right in plain view. These two are on a Galeandra bloom.

They don't seem to be destructive. They actually don't seem to do anything except stand around.

 

[cdub]

I have these on my pepper plants. At first I thought they were herbivorous and disposed of the few that I saw. Later on I noticed another, but is was sitting on the plant holding a smaller insect apparently feeding on it with it's long mouthparts. So, I think they are carnivorous and all the "standing around" on the plant may actually be classified as hunting for prey. I keep them on the plants now to keep track on any smaller pests, like my ants (grrrrrr). They are quite striking with that orange color, very neat insect.

 

[Sue]

I was guessing they were hunting aphids. Haven't yet caught them eating anything though.

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

Those look like Assasin Bugs (no, I'm not being cute here). They prey on any insect smaller than them.

There are young stages of stink bugs that look similar and they do feed on plant juices by using their straw like mouth as a hypodermic needle. If you see a bunch of tiny yellow spots on your plants, it is from them.

Keep a close eye on them, there's about a 50/50 chance of them being insect eating or plant eating. As a side note to creep you out, the "Kissing Bug" of Africa that causes sleeping sickness is the same type of bug only much bigger and likes to use it's straw like mouth to pierce your lips and cheeks while you are asleep.

Jon
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CANNABIS NEWS

 

[Paphman910]

Be careful of these bugs as they can bite you and it can feel worst than a wasp sting.

Check this site out:
http://whatsthatbug.com/assassin.html

Paphman910

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Actually sleeping sickness is transmitted in Africa by tsetse flies....the assasin bug that transmits disease (the "kissing" bug) lives in S. America, and is responsible for Chagas Disease....which supposedly was the disease that affected Charles Darwin for most of his life....on a grosser note, an occasional symptom of Chagas disease is megacolon...don't ask....it can be fatal....victims die full of..................Take care, Eric

 

[Jon in SW Ohio]

Knew I should have googled it first, but at least Chagas disease is a form of sleeping sickness.

Jon
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SUZUKI TL1000S SPECIFICATIONS

 

[cdub]

Here's one of mine. I'm glad it decided not to bite me.

 

[SlipperFan]

It's really a neat bug, for a bug...

 

[Heather]

I really liked these things until I heard about those diseases. A few years ago, I had an assasin bug living on my keyboard. He hung around, not bothering me, sorta pet like, for several months. I liked him.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Ive seen these guys before...I'm not sure what they are, but they definitely occur here in Queens....I'm not sure that they are assassin bugs...and if so, I wouldn't worry....the type that passes on Chagas Disease is a specific type called the "kissing" bug.....Take care, Eric