assassin bug

strmywthr3 · July 14, 2007

I believe this is an assassin bug. this pic was taken a couple days ago. today he/she? had a jap beetle, but I didn't have my camera with me.

shelleybean · July 14, 2007

Dang, that is one wild looking bug! Send him over here after my Japanese Beetle when you're done with him, please!

strmywthr3 · August 4, 2007

the assassin bug has molted and is now in adult form. I must have found it shortly after it molted because it was close to it's former shell. pretty cool! I actually had 2 nymphs one on a dogwood bush and one on the sunflower.

Worth1 · August 6, 2007

I,m sure glad yawll Know what the wheel bug is, they are great to have around the place.

Just don't let one bite you.

Worth

obispo45 · August 6, 2007

I second that!! They are normally a pretty chilled out insect if that makes any sense. Just kind of hang out, lay in wait or sneak up on the prey and WHAM! Very impressive little predator. I had one in my small herb garden earlier in the year and 2 last year...at least ones I saw anyway, though doubt they were numerous whatsoever. I'm not a big entomology guy but thats one of the critters I know!

Those are some really excellent pics BTW

!!!

strmywthr3 · August 6, 2007

thx obispo, I've been reading up on them. definitely don't want to pick them up, but they're so neat looking. the one on the dogwood was a little photo shy and kept moving. I took about 10 shots to get 1 or 2 good ones.

I'm glad to see them in the garden this year. I need all the help I can get!

gssgarden · June 7, 2009

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!

I've been killing those things for two years now!! They won't go away!!!

Funny, I blamed them for killing my Cardoon plant last year. I thought those long 'stingers' of theirs was sucking the life out of my plants. They were also all over my Grumpy last year and I blamed them for that untimely death too. Maybe because I sprayed the day lights out of them with everything I had. They LAUGHED at me when I used Sevin!!

They must like it here because one of them layed eggs on one of my peach trees and it seemed like there were a hundred of them! Finally, my neighbor gave me something she uses on her roses. It was the only thing that killed them!! Quickly too!!

They were so bad, flying right into me sometimes that I couldn't take it anymore. They were banging on my kitchen window for cryin' out load. I just Googled 'insects of NC' and found them there. Then searched here thinking SOMEONE had to have run into them before.

I owe them an apology!! Sorry little Wheel bug.

Very interesting reading on them though. Being a true 'bug' and all.

Greg

gssgarden · June 7, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_bug

http://www.insectidentification.org/...tion=Wheel-Bug

http://bugguide.net/node/view/454

Just a few links.

Greg

check out what they look like as they evolve!!

gssgarden · June 7, 2009

One more thing, You have to see the way they hide when they see you coming. They will walk away and try to hide under a leaf or branch. If you go one way, they go other, then back again, and so on....They're pretty funny.

Greg

feldon30 · June 8, 2009

Wheel Bugs and Assassin Bugs are beneficial.

Stink Bugs and Leaf-footed Bugs are not.

Leaf-footed Bugs and Assassin Bugs can be confused. Look specifically for 'winglets' on their legs. If they are present, it's a leaf-footed. If they are absent, it may be an assassin bug.

Wi-sunflower · June 8, 2009

We will sometimes see them in the eggplant where they help by eating some of the Colorado Potato Bug larvae.

Yes they do look a lot like stink bugs here, but I don't think stink bugs have that long "spear". At least I never noticed one. But I don't look too closely at bugs much.

Carol

July 14, 2007	#1
strmywthr3 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: central OH Zone 5 Posts: 90	assassin bug I believe this is an assassin bug. this pic was taken a couple days ago. today he/she? had a jap beetle, but I didn't have my camera with me. __________________ Barbi

July 14, 2007	#2
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Dang, that is one wild looking bug! Send him over here after my Japanese Beetle when you're done with him, please! __________________ Michele

August 4, 2007	#3
strmywthr3 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: central OH Zone 5 Posts: 90	assassin bug adult the assassin bug has molted and is now in adult form. I must have found it shortly after it molted because it was close to it's former shell. pretty cool! I actually had 2 nymphs one on a dogwood bush and one on the sunflower. __________________ Barbi

August 6, 2007	#5
obispo45 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SE Minnesota Zone 4.51a Posts: 139	I second that!! They are normally a pretty chilled out insect if that makes any sense. Just kind of hang out, lay in wait or sneak up on the prey and WHAM! Very impressive little predator. I had one in my small herb garden earlier in the year and 2 last year...at least ones I saw anyway, though doubt they were numerous whatsoever. I'm not a big entomology guy but thats one of the critters I know! Those are some really excellent pics BTW!!!

August 6, 2007	#6
strmywthr3 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: central OH Zone 5 Posts: 90	thx obispo, I've been reading up on them. definitely don't want to pick them up, but they're so neat looking. the one on the dogwood was a little photo shy and kept moving. I took about 10 shots to get 1 or 2 good ones. I'm glad to see them in the garden this year. I need all the help I can get! __________________ Barbi

August 6, 2007	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I,m sure glad yawll Know what the wheel bug is, they are great to have around the place. Just don't let one bite you. Worth

June 7, 2009	#7
gssgarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: N.C. Posts: 1,827	ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!! I've been killing those things for two years now!! They won't go away!!! Funny, I blamed them for killing my Cardoon plant last year. I thought those long 'stingers' of theirs was sucking the life out of my plants. They were also all over my Grumpy last year and I blamed them for that untimely death too. Maybe because I sprayed the day lights out of them with everything I had. They LAUGHED at me when I used Sevin!! They must like it here because one of them layed eggs on one of my peach trees and it seemed like there were a hundred of them! Finally, my neighbor gave me something she uses on her roses. It was the only thing that killed them!! Quickly too!! They were so bad, flying right into me sometimes that I couldn't take it anymore. They were banging on my kitchen window for cryin' out load. I just Googled 'insects of NC' and found them there. Then searched here thinking SOMEONE had to have run into them before. I owe them an apology!! Sorry little Wheel bug. Very interesting reading on them though. Being a true 'bug' and all. Greg Last edited by gssgarden; June 8, 2009 at 08:04 AM.

June 8, 2009	#10
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Wheel Bugs and Assassin Bugs are beneficial. Stink Bugs and Leaf-footed Bugs are not. Leaf-footed Bugs and Assassin Bugs can be confused. Look specifically for 'winglets' on their legs. If they are present, it's a leaf-footed. If they are absent, it may be an assassin bug. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

June 8, 2009	#11
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	We will sometimes see them in the eggplant where they help by eating some of the Colorado Potato Bug larvae. Yes they do look a lot like stink bugs here, but I don't think stink bugs have that long "spear". At least I never noticed one. But I don't look too closely at bugs much. Carol