Can anyone identify this insect for me?
- Thread starter JamesL
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ccasion14:TroubledTreble
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I'm not for certain, but I think it is a type of assasin bug. It may fall into the family of Harpactocorinae. <---- Yes, I looked up assasin bug and found that word. :icon_tongue:
Oh, you're so right. I knew I should have gone with my gut instinct that it was related to the cicada family, but for some reason I got on the mantid track instead.
It's commonly called a Wheel Bug, species Arilus cristatus. It's not poisonous, but they are generally pretty tempermental, and their bites can be quite painful. They prey on a lot of harmful insects though, so they are good to have around.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/454
It's commonly called a Wheel Bug, species Arilus cristatus. It's not poisonous, but they are generally pretty tempermental, and their bites can be quite painful. They prey on a lot of harmful insects though, so they are good to have around.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/454
Nightclub Dwight
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Yeah, I'd probably give wide berth to any bug with a name like "assasin" in its title. Here in Pittsburgh we are dealing with an invasive pest known as the stink bug. They are a PITA, but at least they don't bite. They ate some of my pepper plants this year, and the squirrels ate some of my tomatoes, but at least I don't have to worry about the assasin bug anytime soon.
reluctant-builder
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Sweet Jesus, I'm glad I've never encountered one of those @#$%ers.
Nando Vallart
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Man, I've insect-phobia... serious... I'd walk like 5 meters away of this evil thing!
S
swarfrat
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I shot Japanese Hornet with a 20 ga shotgun at 15 yards once, and he dropped about 3 ft but not only didn't die - but regained his altitude. Beware things that can hurt you if your attempt to kill them fails.
That one looks rather sturdy as well.
That one looks rather sturdy as well.
I love all animals. As a kid the area around my home was pretty much all open land, some it being swampy marshland. I have some fond memory, of catching all different types of Australian, grasshoppers, lizards and bugs. Only thing I can't stand is spiders. Arachnophobia to the max. :laughing7:
Gosh, the machofied image of Australia we get here in the Colonies is that Australia is a place where the salt water crocodiles and the Great White sharks fight to the death for the privilege of who gets to eat the most surfers... which chases them inland, where the spiders, scorpions, snakes and death-punch kangaroos finish them off. No wonder they talk funny... The one suspicious note about the P.R. is that their greatest scourge of all is - bunny rabbits. Of course, we almost lost President Carter to one of those but it was a swamp rabbit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter_rabbit_incident
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter_rabbit_incident
StubHead said:
Haha, yeah, unfortunately that Crocodile Dundee\Steve Irwin Image is all most people outside of Australia tend to see. Our rural areas are pretty much as tame as anywhere else in the world.
Of course I sit here typing this, while roasting the crocodile I just caught in my backyard for breakfast. Gotta go soon mate, the kangaroo I ride in to work is getting impatient. :laughing7: :laughing7:
StubHead said:
Wow never heard about the rabbit incident. Sounds a little little the rabbit out of Monty Python and the holy Grail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_of_Caerbannog
