# Psytalla horrida have landed



## Calopteryx (Feb 22, 2017)

Hi everyone,

today I received my 10 assassin bugs (Psytalla horrida). They look pretty impressive on pictures and videos, but seeing them in person they really are stunning and I'm so excited right now. 

They came in all different sizes, from 5mm nymphs to subadults. One of the subs must've moulted during shipping, as I found an emty moult and an adult assassin in the box. As soon as I put all the bugs in their tank another sub promptly started moulting as well. Fortunately I had a nice view of the process and was able to take some photos. Their colours after moulting are really spectacular, a shame they don't remain that way. 

I'll try to feed them some roaches tomorrow, should be interesting to watch them hunt!





Edit: Those photos came out way bigger than I thought they would.

Reactions: Like 9 | Love 10


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## basin79 (Feb 22, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> today I received my 10 assassin bugs (Psytalla horrida). They look pretty impressive on pictures and videos, but seeing them in person they really are stunning and I'm so excited right now.
> 
> ...


I'm glad the pics are massive. They're absolutely phenomenonal. Really, really good.

I was going to say just wait until you get an adult and then saw the pics.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## arizonablue (Feb 22, 2017)

WOW. Incredible photos!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Hisserdude (Feb 22, 2017)

Beautiful, I really want some of these, especially now that my Blaberus and Byrsotria colonies are booming, I really need more predatory inverts...

I wish you luck with these awesome assassins, hope you can breed them!


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## chanda (Feb 22, 2017)

So jealous! Those are amazing!


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## RTTB (Feb 22, 2017)

Those are awesome!


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## socalqueen (Feb 22, 2017)

So awesome!! I'm jealous! These are on my wants list. Congratulations!


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## Ratmosphere (Feb 25, 2017)

Those pictures are phenomenal!


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## RTTB (Feb 26, 2017)

So they can be kept communally?


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## basin79 (Feb 26, 2017)

RTTB said:


> So they can be kept communally?


Yes.


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## Calopteryx (Feb 26, 2017)

Yeah I keep all of mine together, they seem to be very social. They're often all huddled up in one spot, I guess that would be nice protection for the small nymphs in the wild. The big ones also let the small ones eat from their prey and don't seem to mind, sometimes 4 assassins share a roach buffet.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## basin79 (Feb 26, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> Yeah I keep all of mine together, they seem to be very social. They're often all huddled up in one spot, I guess that would be nice protection for the small nymphs in the wild. The big ones also let the small ones eat from their prey and don't seem to mind, sometimes 4 assassins share a roach buffet.


I can attest to that.

Reactions: Like 2 | Love 1


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## MetalMan2004 (Feb 26, 2017)

Those pictures are awesome!

We have assasin bugs in our yard naturally and they are very cool to watch.  As you said they'll hang iut in large groups and suck bugs together.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Feb 26, 2017)

Wow, the photos are great. I never paid attention to the molting of the stylet before.


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## Calopteryx (Mar 12, 2017)

I thought I'd give a little update on my assassins.

So far they seem to be doing well, I have 5 adults now and some of the small ones have also moulted already. I feed them mostly roaches and crickets, and every now and then a morio worm. The small ones seem to also like fly larvae.

Unfortunately I found a dead adult in the tank this morning. I have no clue as to why it died, it fed and drank regularly and looked healthy overall.
Let's hope that it's the last death for a while. I took the opportunity to get some close up shots of the head and rostrum. I did a stack of 45 photos to get it all in focus, but I'm quite new to stacking and using a free software, so the result is not ideal.

Reactions: Like 1


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## basin79 (Mar 12, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> I thought I'd give a little update on my assassins.
> 
> So far they seem to be doing well, I have 5 adults now and some of the small ones have also moulted already. I feed them mostly roaches and crickets, and every now and then a morio worm. The small ones seem to also like fly larvae.
> 
> ...


I started with 15 of these. I'm down to 2.

That pic is phenomenal. I NEED to learn to stack after I've got comfortable with my camera.


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## Calopteryx (Mar 12, 2017)

Sorry to hear that man... They do seem trickier to rear than the Platymeris species for whatever reason.
I'm just hoping this was an exception and the rest will thrive and reproduce soon.


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## basin79 (Mar 12, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> Sorry to hear that man... They do seem trickier to rear than the Platymeris species for whatever reason.
> I'm just hoping this was an exception and the rest will thrive and reproduce soon.


Not that I'd ever sherk responsibility but mine where just odd. The last one to die was hugely smaller than the other 2. It refused to eat and I tried everything. Others fed and died after shedding. Shedding but not retaining their rostrum. Literally every seemed to be against them. Yet 1 got to adulthood and another is 1 shed any away at a guess.


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## Calopteryx (Mar 12, 2017)

Well I hope your remaining 2 are gonna make it and maybe get a 2nd generation going.

Btw, do you know how to sex these guys? Preferably from a safe distance.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## basin79 (Mar 13, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> Well I hope your remaining 2 are gonna make it and maybe get a 2nd generation going.
> 
> Btw, do you know how to sex these guys? Preferably from a safe distance.


Not off hand but there's guides on Google. I'm sure it's something to do with their abdomen's.


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## Quinton lane (Sep 3, 2017)

Calopteryx said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> today I received my 10 assassin bugs (Psytalla horrida). They look pretty impressive on pictures and videos, but seeing them in person they really are stunning and I'm so excited right now.
> 
> ...


where did u get them


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## Redmont (Sep 3, 2017)

I'd love to buy some or trade for them if you have any breeding (this goes for anyone reading this that has the species)


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## Elytra and Antenna (Sep 4, 2017)

Redmont said:


> I'd love to buy some or trade for them if you have any breeding (this goes for anyone reading this that has the species)


I have some just hatching.

Reactions: Like 1


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