Field collected assassin bug

[l4nsky]

Found this little one (and I mean little, thats a bamboo skewer in the first picture) at my parent's house just north of STL. I believe its a nymph of Arilus cristatus (the wheelbug) based on it's coloration and collection location. Might have to see if I can locate a few more and get them to breed in captivity.

Anyone else have experience with wheelbugs and can verify my observations? Pretty sure they're annual as in less than a year in lifespan, but what about communal enclosures or breeding?

 

[chanda]

Yes, that is a wheel bug nymph. Nice find! I've tried keeping them a few times. Raising them from nymph to adult is pretty easy. Just keep a little moisture in the substrate and toss in an appropriately sized cricket, cockroach nymph, mealworm, or other feeder every week or so. Make sure it has an angled vertical surface - like an angled slab of cork bark - with empty space below it, so it can hang underneath it during molting.

On the other hand, I've heard that successfully breeding them can be challenging.

 

[l4nsky]

Yes, that is a wheel bug nymph. Nice find! I've tried keeping them a few times. Raising them from nymph to adult is pretty easy. Just keep a little moisture in the substrate and toss in an appropriately sized cricket, cockroach nymph, mealworm, or other feeder every week or so. Make sure it has an angled vertical surface - like an angled slab of cork bark - with empty space below it, so it can hang underneath it during molting.

On the other hand, I've heard that successfully breeding them can be challenging.

Would you happen to know if molt sexing is possible or if they show any sexual dimorphism before they hit maturity? I collected a second one today and I'd like to figure out what sex ratio I currently have.

 

[chanda]

Would you happen to know if molt sexing is possible or if they show any sexual dimorphism before they hit maturity? I collected a second one today and I'd like to figure out what sex ratio I currently have.

Sorry - I have no idea how to sex juvenile wheel bugs.