I need a quick ID, I cant figure this one out X_X

[Nivek]

Hey, well, heres the story...I caught a "stick insect" on a tree, nothing new. I got home and took a picture of it, and it started flying around my house (which is a sign it isnt a stick, or so i hear), and under close examination, it has a proboscis. It also holds its front 2 legs like a mantis (which makes me think its predatory) I have enclosed a pic, and need an ID relatively fast because i am leaving for the week in the morning... Thx for the info!

 

[ChupaChup]

euhhhh....looks like youre camera is broke....

 

[Wade]

It's a waterscorpion, Ranatra sp. Normally they're aquatic, but they can fly as you can see. Try setting it up in an aquatic tank. They are predatory and hunt mantid-like underwater and feed like an assassin bug with it's proboscis.

Wade

 

[Trygon]

i.d.

It's a waterscorpion, Ranatra sp. Normally they're aquatic, but they can fly as you can see. Try setting it up in an aquatic tank. They are predatory and hunt mantid-like underwater and feed like an assassin bug with it's proboscis.

Wade

I would agree it fits the discription of a waterscorpion but i dont think thats what it is. Look at the way it holds its legs... it is positioned to walk on his hand! I have held many waterscorpions and they are not capable of walking, at least not very well. Out of water their legs splay out to their sides. Also, from the blury picture the head looks too long to be a waterscorpion. All i could say about the insect is that its a hemipteran and probably a predator given its claws.

-trygon

 

[Wade]

Hmmm...maybe. I notice now that it looks like it has long, prominent antennas while waterscorpions' are not as noticable (as seen in my avatar).

Now I'm thinking possibly thread-legged bug (a type of assassin) but these are usually pretty small. They look like tiny, 1" skinny mantids. Many are specialists of spiders and their eggsacs.

Wade

 

[Trygon]

here we go...

found some good pictures of assasins (Reduviidae) that fit the description:

-the thread bug looks similar and there is a great pic at the link below

http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/Images/Hemiptera/threadbug.jpg

-Barce uhleri is also similar:

 

[Alex S.]

Would it be possible to get a picture of the specimen from the dorsal view and a little further away?

Alex S.