Assassin Bug Colony Questions

[sloth]

I was wondering, does cage size effect how the colony grows? Will they adapt to the cage size? For example if I put them in a smaller cage, would the colony not get as big? Or would I just have to upgrade them eventually? By the way I’m talking specifically about Platymeris sp “mombo”. If you have an answer but for another species of Assassin bug, please still tell me. Answers will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Salmonsaladsandwich]

I would say yes to some degree, as the more you have in a small tank the more nymphs (and freshly eclosed adults!) will end up being cannibalized during molting or even just die from being disturbed while they molt. But I doubt that's a desirable outcome. But i've kept assassins in a really crowded setup before. The main factors that affect colony size are how many of the eggs survive, how much you feed them (especially the nymphs), and temperature. The more molting spaces and hiding places, the higher the temperature, and the more you feed them, the faster the colony will grow.

 

[chanda]

Having a smaller cage will not reduce fecundity. They will mate and lay eggs without regard to the size of the enclosure, but like @Salmonsaladsandwich said, if they are too crowded or there is not enough food to go around, you will see higher losses due to cannibalism and/or bad molts than you might see in a larger enclosure.

I have a thriving P. biguttatus colony that's been breeding like crazy and they seem to be very tolerant of crowding. The adults and larger subs do take over all the best hiding places, leaving the nymphs to scurry around the outside of the cork tubes while the larger ones enjoy the dark interiors. Cannibalism does happen, but not as often as I'd expect (or at least not that I can tell) and while there is the occasional bout of tug-of-war over feeders, they don't seem to be aggressive toward one another.