Bloodsucking Conenose

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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I was going through a pile of wood scraps way out the back of my yard. I was going to put some on the ground around my house since I'm starting to see some Scolopendra heros centipedes around. Also, I had a really big one get out. Maybe if a miracle happens I will find it. Anyway, I found this Traitoma sanguisuga. I didn't let it take a drink. It was just for the pic.
 

Gsc

Arachnobaron
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You didn't loose your HUGE 'pede did you? The largest I ever caught was a full 8.5"... I know everyone says their 'pedes are that big but this one was! The pic of your big one is amazing....I could imagine flipping a rock and seeing that beast sitting there!
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Yea, the big one. And man, I'm really bummed out about it. I REALLY feel bad! I guess I need to really get a life but, the first thing I would do in the morning was go look at that pede. It didn't matter how many times I looked at it, it was always awesome to see. We need a big crying smilie here! I at least wanted to see it go through a molt. It got out around this time last year. It was gone 2 months, then one morning I got up and there it was walking on the rug, fat and shiny! That was weird. Maybe it molted while it was out. It's almost like it got out of the house and wandered back in. I just don't know where it went:? . I thought it might have gotten up behind the fridge cuz of the heat and the water pan. I took it apart back there,...no pede. Thanks for asking man, I'll keep you posted.
 

Tleilaxu

Arachnoprince
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Do you think its possible to get those bugs to feed off of mice? The cone nose that is not the pede.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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I'm sure it would. Think I'll go get a pinkie. I have 3 snakes that eat mice and it's feeding time anyway. I'll try it. Supposed to be painless when they feed but can spread diseases, if I'm remembering right.
 

Tleilaxu

Arachnoprince
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I'm sure it would. Think I'll go get a pinkie. I have 3 snakes that eat mice and it's feeding time anyway. I'll try it. Supposed to be painless when they feed but can spread diseases, if I'm remembering right.
Correct they spread chagas disease and there is no cure for it. Let me know how your experiment goes. With pics as well if you can.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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That was it, "Chagas disease". That how you spell it? I didn't know how to spell it and I was so off on the spelling that Google was scratching it's head. I saw a show about it a long time ago about how it's such a big problem in Mex. It filled up on the mouse. I have pics but Photobucket is slow right now with the junk equip I have. I'll post pics later. I'm getting this sucker , haha, out of my house. I think I'll freeze it. I've seen all I want to see. The head and antennae sure look similar to a mosquito's. Might be something about blood sucking and the design.
 

Waspman

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The disease is spread through the feces (if rubbed into the eyes, mouth, wound, etc), so be extremely careful when cleaning.

I've found a few as well here. I wanted to keep one for my pinned collection, but I didn't want to handle it even if dead, and I'd have to get a new killing jar if it let any feces out.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Are there cases of the disease in the US? I thought coming across Conenose bugs infected with the disease in the US was rare. But I don't know, could someone that knows give more info concerning that? Better safe than sorry in the mean time. I'll try to load some pics.

Daahhhhh, I can't open Photobucket right now.

Just looked up the range of Conenose infected with the parasite. Mostly Central and South America. Rare in the US. But it any Conenose could be infected, so this one's going in the freezer. I could see how some people would be real interested in this bug. It is interesting in a sick kind of way. Just depends on your perspective I guess.
 
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Waspman

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I'm very fascinated but also fearful of conenoses.

The main determinant in the spreading of the disease is how fast the insects defecate after feeding. In South America, they defecate very soon after feeding, Triatoma infestans being the worst. So the chance of rubbing the feces into the wound/eyes/etc. is greater. This species almost lives exclusively on man.

In the US, there are infections, but the conenoses defecate a while after feeding, by then they are usually away from the victim. Also, our housing is much more sealed off, with fewer places for them to enter and hide (we don't have thatch roofs).

So in the US, most of them are in animal burrows and sometimes bird nests.

Nice pics btw!!
 
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Galapoheros

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I saw a show where the thatch roofs and the open homes where causing most of the problem ...bad living conditions. How does the bug pick up the parasite in the first place? I read about the cycle years ago but I can't remember. Does it pick it up primarily from other infected animals? Seems like the obvious answer but, you never know so thought I'd ask. I've noticed a cat sleeps on top of those wood scraps in back. That's what this one was doing there. I like bugs but, I don't think I'll tolerate these around my house when I see them.
 

Tleilaxu

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You did not kill it yet did you? Next I wanted to see if it woould take prekilled food. I may PM you later as those seem like they would be a cool pet to have if they could be converted to prekilled/thawed mice.
 

Galapoheros

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Yea I still have it. I thought some people would think it kind of interesting. Prekilled? I don't know if I'm that bored, but almost. Might need to warm a prekill some how. Looks like part of there ability to locate food is heat. But I can tell heat's not the only thing they depend on so you might not have to warm a prekill. I put my finger on the outside of the plastic and it was searching for a place to jab my finger. About half the time it fed off the mouse, it would lunge a real short distance and do it real fast, maybe a mm. It looked like it was piercing the skin that way sometimes but not all the time. Also, I wonder if they depend on "flowing" blood to be able to pick it up(?). I bet if you got one of those finger lancers, whatever they are called.. those things people use to prick their finger to check blood sugar levels, etc., ...bet it would feed from a drop of blood put on a surface next to it. Looks like they eat a lot though.
 
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Tleilaxu

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When you try the prekill soak the mouse in really hot water for a few minutes then place it right by the bug and beat a retreat and check back in a few hours. This is the method I used to switch my JCP to prekilled food from live.
 

Waspman

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I saw a show where the thatch roofs and the open homes where causing most of the problem ...bad living conditions. How does the bug pick up the parasite in the first place? I read about the cycle years ago but I can't remember. Does it pick it up primarily from other infected animals? Seems like the obvious answer but, you never know so thought I'd ask. I've noticed a cat sleeps on top of those wood scraps in back. That's what this one was doing there. I like bugs but, I don't think I'll tolerate these around my house when I see them.
Animals may eat an infected bug, or they may get the disease in the traditional bite-and-defecate way. Other conenoses feed on and get the trypanosome from the reservoir animal. So the hosts keep the cycle going (including humans). I've read that birds are fed upon but are not infected.

The cat could have it if it found an infected conenose and ate it.

Also, as far as I know for finding hosts, they rely on heat, host odors, and breath (carbon dioxide).
 

beetleman

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very interesting bug,i was always fasinated by them,except for the disease issue though.
 

ZoSoLp510

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very interesting bug,i was always fasinated by them,except for the disease issue though.
Deffinitely a fascinating species! To be honest though, the chaga's disease aspect always fascinated me quite a bit too lol. I certainly wish I could find a place that sells them or better still, lived someplace where I could catch one myself! Awesome find! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
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