# Assasin bug i dont think ?



## Crysta (Jul 10, 2005)

Hey I found this in my house on the wall, I was wondering if this was an assain bug, I'm not sure, but I live in Canada, New-brunswick. Wich is just above the state "Maine"..
Its jet black with a needle thing that he used for sucking the guts/fluids out of a catipilar I gave him. He made no attempt to bite me when I picked it up...I sorta have this flaw when picking up bugs..lol..Sorta like I dont care if they decide to bite me..But I was bit by an electric beetle once.  .hurt..lol anyways never mind that..

So yeah here are a few pictures, I ain't that great of a photographer like alote of you people here..prolly do to the cheap camera...lol.. anyways here are the photos;






2






very unclear sorry..its kinda skittish..






bad camera..i need a new one..   






yep..here the pics, sorry for the blurry ness...i'm not that great at taking pics of small things..lol
anyways good luck

~Crysta


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## Black Hawk (Jul 11, 2005)

looks like an assasin...sounds like an assasin..therefore, it must be an assasin  
-congrats on the find :clap:


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## NrthCstInverts (Jul 11, 2005)

That looks kinda like a wheel bug that we have here locally(northern ohio).... same overall family as assasian bug... i actually had on e in my house the other night that looked just like that!  Still a nice find....


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## Alex S. (Jul 11, 2005)

The insect you found is an assassin bug (_Heteroptera_: _Reduviidae_). It’s probably _Reduvius personatus_, which is a fairly common species. Nymphs of this species will cover themselves with debris for camouflage. Two main external identifying characteristics of the _Reduviidae_ that are visible with a magnifying glass include a 3-segmented proboscis or rostrum (“beak”) and a transverse groove that runs between the compound eyes.

Alex S.


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## Code Monkey (Jul 14, 2005)

You're all wrong, it's not an assassin, and it's not a reduvid. It is a hemipteran but it's in the family Alydidae. Key characteristic to distinguish between in and the reduvids is the ratio of the width of the head to the thorax; the alydids are "broad headed", hence their common name as broad-headed bugs.


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## Alex S. (Jul 14, 2005)

This hemipteran is not of the family _Alydidae_. First of all, the head to thorax ratio does not apply to every species. Look at the pictures. The head of this insect is clearly slimmer than the thorax. Also note the enlarged front legs relative the other legs, a characteristic of the _Reduviidae_, not the _Alydidae_. The insect pictured is probably _Reduvius personatus_, which is of the family _Reduviidae_ (assassin bugs).

For comparison:

_Reduvius personatus_ (_Reduviidae_)

http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteroptera/2cimi1/reduviidae-reduvius-personatus-foto-devillers.jpg



_Melanacanthus scutellaris_ (_Alydidae_)

http://agspsrv34.agric.wa.gov.au/ento/images/M_scutellaris.jpg


Alex S.


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## Code Monkey (Jul 14, 2005)

Alex S. said:
			
		

> This hemipteran is not of the family _Alydidae_. First of all, the head to thorax ratio does not apply to every species. Look at the pictures. The head of this insect is clearly slimmer than the thorax. Also note the enlarged front legs relative the other legs, a characteristic of the _Reduviidae_, not the _Alydidae_. The insect pictured is probably _Reduvius personatus_, which is of the family _Reduviidae_ (assassin bugs).


Sure, pick the most extreme morphotype of an Alydid to try and make your case. I still say you're still wrong on this one.


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## Alex S. (Jul 14, 2005)

Look at the pictures. It is easy to tell even from the blurry ones that this insect is a reduviid. Just a quick glance at the overall body shape gives it away.  It doesn’t resemble _Alydidae_ in the least. No matter how much you want it to be, this hemipteran is not of the family _Alydidae_. You are still entitled to your opinion though, even though its wrong. I suggest you compare morphology a little better before you tell everybody they are wrong.

Alex S.


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## Code Monkey (Jul 15, 2005)

Because Alydids can't resemble reduviids in any way 

While neither of can positively ID this specimen, I find your attitude as laughable as you find mine. Alydids that strongly resemble reduviids are common and used in taxonomy courses to fool people who think they know everything about quicky sight ID.

This is the best I could find in under 60 seconds, but the body plan, oh yeah, looks like an assassin...

http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteroptera/5pent2/alydidae-alydus-calcaratus2-foto-koehler.html

If the OP would like a positive ID, send it to:

Virginia Tech Insect ID Lab
c/o Eric Day
216 Price Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

I'd be curious to find out


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## Alex S. (Jul 15, 2005)

I do not believe in “quicky sight ID”. I only give a specimen 100% positive ID if it is actually in my possession and morphology can be observed first hand. For an individual that really knows what they are looking for, _Reduviidae_ and _Alydidae_ can look very different, even at quick glance. 

About the picture you posted of _Alydus calcaratus_; the fact that there is no transverse groove behind the compound eyes indicates that it isn’t _Reduviidae_ in about a second.

Other characteristics that quickly indicate that it is not _Reduviidae_ include shape and width of the head, shape and width of the rostrum, shape of the thorax, width of the antennae, and width of legs relative to the others.

Alex S.


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## Crysta (Jul 19, 2005)

*hmm*

Sorry, i havent been able to find time for the computer due to summer school...

Anyways, you want me to send the bug to this adress? its dead now..i think i dident feed it enouph i only fed it a catippilar ever week..and it survided 2 weeks..seems like i dident feed it enouph..sorry..

From the pictures it looks like Reduvius personatus (Reduviidae)..From Alex S.'s identification....

and it denfently isent this..to diffrent, in the white under the wings, the entinas, and the arch in the back.. head and eye shape, size shape is defenatly weird to on this bug in the following link:
http://www.koleopterologie.de/heteroptera/5pent2/alydidae-alydus-calcaratus2-foto-koehler.html

dosent look much from the family Alydidae iether, IMO...but what do i know?

Also how would i send the bug to this adress, 
Virginia Tech Insect ID Lab
c/o Eric Day
216 Price Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

its dead, and fragile, easy to break like any bug.. How long would it take to get an identification, would i give them my number? or email? lol..I dont know thats why i'm asking..
And Alex S. I agree with you about the insect being in the persones possetion about a correct ID... Same with me and spiders, i'm horrible with identifying with pictures ..lol
Anyways, sorry for the long post..   

~Crysta


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## Crysta (Jul 25, 2005)

anyone, care to anser this?... please


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## ZoSoLp510 (Sep 20, 2008)

*corsair assassin*

Hey there... Nice find! I had a couple of these not too long ago. They are Black corsair assassins, Melanolestes pincipes (right spelling?). Your catch is a male as females are wingless. Deffinitely fun little critters .... I miss mine


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