Can anyone ID this insect (picture link)

Factual Questions
1

Insect picture. I have found three of these in my house. They remind me of a box elder bug without the colors. They are slow and easy to catch, and don’t seem to fly. The photo is larger than life, it is actually about 1" long.

2

It looks like a True Bug (Order Hemiptera) but I can’t tell much about it from the photo. Where do you live? (Entomologically, Hemipterans - and the related Homopterans - are the only insects properly called “bugs,” hence they name True Bug.)

Be careful about picking them up - some hemipterans can give a nasty bite.

3

I live in Western Wisconsin, USDA zone 4a. Sorry about the bad picture, I only see these at night and I had to use my flash. I have never had these indoors before and I can’t find them in any of my insect books.

4

Check out the Masked Hunter on this page, an Assassin Bug. Looks pretty close to me.

5

Looks like a damsel bug (a predacious hemipteran - heed Colibri’s warning about the biting). I don’t know if they get that big, though.

6

Id weigh in on the side of Colibri’s suggestion of an Assasin Bug ( it looks a little sturdy for a Damsel Bug ), but I’m still a little miffed at his gnonsense :wink: .

  • Tamerlane
7

On seeing Colibri’s picture, I’d say that he’s on target.

8

Here’s another link. Masked Hunters eat bedbugs, and they do bite.

Tamerlane, gnyah-gnyah-gyanh. :stuck_out_tongue:

9

Thanks Colibri! It looks like a match. I have seen these in my garden too. I know I can always count on The Straight Dopers to give me the Straight Dope.

10

It’s a driver ant.

11

Damnit! I was going to say Assassin bug, Really! Why do I always come accross the questions I can answer so late? :slight_smile:

I had a “Wheel Bug” (assassin) that I caught for a pet for awhile before I let it go. It looked evil and it was one bad ass mofo. I would grab a cricket in its 2 front legs and yank it into its piercing proboscus and eat it from the inside, thereby stabbing and eating it to death. It was wicked cool to watch.

12

The photo is unambiguous as to determining Family. That’s an Assassin Bug. The lighting is bad, however, for telling which species, but it could be a “Masked Hunter” (Reduvius personatus).

13

Colibri is an assassin bug?

14
      • Assassin bugs can fly, but they tend to be rather lazy about it most of the time, like praying mantises are. - MC