Assassin bug care

[KevinsWither]

Could Platymeris spp assassin bugs be housed in 32 ounce deli containers? Like one per container or maybe even two with adequate hiding spots?

 

[Ranitomeya]

You can house multiple adults together in a 32 oz containers if you need to, but I suggest housing juveniles individually if you have a limited number. If you're looking for a cheap enclosure, you could use a kritter keeper for large juveniles and adults. I've raised mine individually in 5.5 oz cups and they've molted successfully into adults in them. You just need to provide a piece of egg carton for them to hang onto.

 

[KevinsWither]

Wait in individual enclosures, 5.5 deli containers work? Thats weird Any photos?

 

[Ranitomeya]

Yup, 5.5 oz deli containers have worked for me as individual housing until they're adults. Here's one that molted into an adult recently. I'm waiting for the rest of them to molt into adults and they'll all go into a larger communal enclosure. This is the second time I've kept them, and I had housed all of mine together in a larger container the first time and only to ended up with one nymph that decided to eat all the others. This way is safer if you have a limited number of them as there's no way for them to cannibalize and it is apparently enough room for them to successfully molt in.

 

[Introvertebrate]

Ranitomeya, it looks like you've got them on roaches now. What do you feed newborn nymphs? Fruit flies?

 

[Hisserdude]

Ranitomeya, it looks like you've got them on roaches now. What do you feed newborns nymphs? Fruit flies?

You can just feed them small roaches, even if they are a little bigger than the nymphs they should still try to eat them, or if you can't get small roaches then you can smash the head of a larger one and they should eat it.

Just make sure not to feed them roaches that are way bigger than them, stay within a reasonable amount of size difference.

 

[Ranitomeya]

They've been fed on roaches at every instar--first instar hatchlings worked well when they were tiny nymphs. They're able to take on pretty big prey for their size, but you can also pre-kill prey and they'll jump right on it if they're hungry.

 

[KevinsWither]

Do they like red runner roaches? I plan to make that a staple for most of my invertebrates.

 

[Ranitomeya]

Yes, I use red runners as feeders for almost all my pets since they have pretty thin shells and are active enough that they promote an excellent feeding response. I've tried using dubia and I just couldn't deal with having to pick them up and drop them over and over again to get some of my pets to recognize them as food. Dubia tend to play dead or burrow, have tougher exoskeletons, and don't make themselves very attractive prey items. Feeding things that liked ambushing prey that walk past them was faster and easier with lateralis than with dubia.

It's more interesting watching the assassin bugs go after prey that move around and I feel like it's also a form of enrichment for them to have to choose to chase or wait for their prey items to wander near them.

 

[KevinsWither]

Also are most of the species that are in the hobby breed via parthenogenesis?

 

[Introvertebrate]

Also are most of the species that are in the hobby breed via parthenogenesis?

Wikipedia says the following, "It was thought that they (Platymeris biguttatus) breed both sexually and through parthenogenesis, this however has recently been proved to not be true. Whilst unmated females will lay eggs, they are infertile."

 

[KevinsWither]

Wait that's from Wikipedia. Any people on the forum with experience on these guys.

 

[Teal]

I would personally never raise them in so small a space as a 5.5oz. My juvies grew up in what amounted to probably a 44oz jar with sticks and leaves to hide under/climb on. I now have two adults in a 2.5g tank.