# Another "Identify This Ugly-Ass Bug" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117 "2003-06-16T01:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/1 "2003-06-16T01:39:38Z")
Today I was checking the Habanero plants and found this [ugly little mo-fo.](http://home.earthlink.net/~maclaurel/_uimages/bugs.jpg) That’s the closest pics I could get without blurring them. It is about 1/4 inch long, white, almost transparent, with regular and sharply defind red/orange bands across the body and on the legs. The head and thorax is long and very thin. The abdomen is very wide, segmented, and very flat when viewed from the side. When disturbed, it raises the abdomen up, as you can sort of see in the center pic. It also seems to like being upside down. When I turned the leaf over, it immediately began to go to the underside again. At first glance I thought it was a spider, but what I thought were forward legs are long antennae. It is an insect, and it wasn’t there yesterday, and it is alone among all the plants. Between the net and bug books I haven’t seen anything close. I haven’t killed it because I don’t know if it is beneficial, but the creepy little bastard is on borrowed time. I don’t like bugs in general, but most I can ignore. The way it looks and especially how it moves gives me the willies. Also, if it helps, earlier a large wasp was crawling around the plants looking for food for about 20 minutes, came across this thing and left town. Any ideas?? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/2 "2003-06-16T05:16:39Z")
It has a fairly classic “weevil” look to it. I can’t quite make it out, but it resembles the [rose weevil](http://www.yahooligans.com/content/animals/species/3705.html) ([alternative photo](http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/misc/rosewee.html)) . If it has a long “snout,” it is more likely a plant eater than not. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/3 "2003-06-16T05:51:39Z")
I’d be guessing assassin bug nymph. Like [this](http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Nature/Bugs/WeirdRedAndWhiteCostaRicanBug.jpg), but a different species. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/4 "2003-06-16T17:39:36Z")
Definitely some kind of Hemipteran (true bug) nymph. It’s hard to tell what kind, but it could be some sort of [leaf-footed bug (Coreidae)](http://eny3005.ifas.ufl.edu/lab1/Hemiptera/Coreid.htm). On the other hand, an assassin bug is a possibility. If it’s a plant bug, it could be detrimental. If it’s an assassin bug, it could be eating pests and protecting the plant. Check to see if they are sucking the plant juices with their mouthparts, or if they may be eating other insects. ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/5 "2003-06-16T17:43:59Z")
Slight hi-jack: what’s a “true bug”? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/6 "2003-06-16T19:08:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by drhess \* > \*\*Slight hi-jack: what’s a “true bug”? \*\* To an entomologist, the name “bug” is formally limited to members of the order Hemiptera (especially the suborder Heteroptera, if Homopterans are considered to be part of the same order). They are therefore called “true bugs,” to distinguish the informal use of “bug” to apply to all creepie-crawlies. These include the water boatmen, backswimmers, water striders, water bugs, water scorpions, plant bugs, leaf-footed bugs, stink bugs, assassin bugs, ambush bugs, and others. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/7 "2003-06-16T19:55:44Z")
It’s an alien microprobe. Check your basement for pods. ---
**Author:** ![Turbo\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Turbo\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turbo_Dog)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/8 "2003-06-16T23:53:30Z")
We have a winner. It is an assassin bug nymph. I found the kid’s magnifying glass and was able to get a good look at the head area and comparing it to decent pics, that’s it. Time to get some good bug books for the local area. Seen many pics of assassins and wheel bugs but never any of the nymphs. Had to get rid of the nasty thing though. Daughter has access to the plants and loves to eat bugs. I’d rather she not eat one of those. Many thanks! ---
**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/9 "2003-06-18T14:18:37Z")
Still on the hi-jack…what is it about “true bugs” that puts them together in that sub-order? (And do you pronounce the p in Heteroptera? ) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-identify-this-ugly-ass-bug/182117/10 "2003-06-18T14:42:05Z")
Ancient insects had four wings, like dragon flies; what most people call ‘flies’ have lost one pair and become Diptera; beetles have the first pair hardened into wing cases (think ladybird) but the Hemiptera have only one half of the first pair of wings hardened, while the rest of that pair and the other pair are membranous and wing-like. (I say these words _hetter-op-terra_ and\* hem-mip-terra\*… don’t know if that is how everybody would say them) * * * SF worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html](http://www.orionsarm.com/main.html)