Psytalla horrida have landed

Calopteryx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
22
Hi everyone,

today I received my 10 assassin bugs (Psytalla horrida). They look pretty impressive on pictures and videos, but seeing them in person they really are stunning and I'm so excited right now. :happy:

They came in all different sizes, from 5mm nymphs to subadults. One of the subs must've moulted during shipping, as I found an emty moult and an adult assassin in the box. As soon as I put all the bugs in their tank another sub promptly started moulting as well. Fortunately I had a nice view of the process and was able to take some photos. Their colours after moulting are really spectacular, a shame they don't remain that way. :D

I'll try to feed them some roaches tomorrow, should be interesting to watch them hunt!
8.jpg 6.jpg 7.jpg

Edit: Those photos came out way bigger than I thought they would.:confused:
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Hi everyone,

today I received my 10 assassin bugs (Psytalla horrida). They look pretty impressive on pictures and videos, but seeing them in person they really are stunning and I'm so excited right now. :happy:

They came in all different sizes, from 5mm nymphs to subadults. One of the subs must've moulted during shipping, as I found an emty moult and an adult assassin in the box. As soon as I put all the bugs in their tank another sub promptly started moulting as well. Fortunately I had a nice view of the process and was able to take some photos. Their colours after moulting are really spectacular, a shame they don't remain that way. :D

I'll try to feed them some roaches tomorrow, should be interesting to watch them hunt!
View attachment 232209 View attachment 232210 View attachment 232211

Edit: Those photos came out way bigger than I thought they would.:confused:
I'm glad the pics are massive. They're absolutely phenomenonal. Really, really good.

I was going to say just wait until you get an adult and then saw the pics.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
Messages
2,453
Beautiful, I really want some of these, especially now that my Blaberus and Byrsotria colonies are booming, I really need more predatory inverts...

I wish you luck with these awesome assassins, hope you can breed them! :D
 

Calopteryx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
22
Yeah I keep all of mine together, they seem to be very social. They're often all huddled up in one spot, I guess that would be nice protection for the small nymphs in the wild. The big ones also let the small ones eat from their prey and don't seem to mind, sometimes 4 assassins share a roach buffet. :D
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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Messages
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Yeah I keep all of mine together, they seem to be very social. They're often all huddled up in one spot, I guess that would be nice protection for the small nymphs in the wild. The big ones also let the small ones eat from their prey and don't seem to mind, sometimes 4 assassins share a roach buffet. :D
I can attest to that.

 

MetalMan2004

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 14, 2016
Messages
676
Those pictures are awesome!

We have assasin bugs in our yard naturally and they are very cool to watch. As you said they'll hang iut in large groups and suck bugs together.
 

Calopteryx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
22
I thought I'd give a little update on my assassins.

So far they seem to be doing well, I have 5 adults now and some of the small ones have also moulted already. I feed them mostly roaches and crickets, and every now and then a morio worm. The small ones seem to also like fly larvae.

Unfortunately I found a dead adult in the tank this morning.:( I have no clue as to why it died, it fed and drank regularly and looked healthy overall.
Let's hope that it's the last death for a while. I took the opportunity to get some close up shots of the head and rostrum. I did a stack of 45 photos to get it all in focus, but I'm quite new to stacking and using a free software, so the result is not ideal.

1.jpg
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
Active Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
I thought I'd give a little update on my assassins.

So far they seem to be doing well, I have 5 adults now and some of the small ones have also moulted already. I feed them mostly roaches and crickets, and every now and then a morio worm. The small ones seem to also like fly larvae.

Unfortunately I found a dead adult in the tank this morning.:( I have no clue as to why it died, it fed and drank regularly and looked healthy overall.
Let's hope that it's the last death for a while. I took the opportunity to get some close up shots of the head and rostrum. I did a stack of 45 photos to get it all in focus, but I'm quite new to stacking and using a free software, so the result is not ideal.

View attachment 233818
I started with 15 of these. I'm down to 2.

That pic is phenomenal. I NEED to learn to stack after I've got comfortable with my camera.
 

Calopteryx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
22
Sorry to hear that man... They do seem trickier to rear than the Platymeris species for whatever reason.
I'm just hoping this was an exception and the rest will thrive and reproduce soon.
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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Sep 14, 2013
Messages
5,893
Sorry to hear that man... They do seem trickier to rear than the Platymeris species for whatever reason.
I'm just hoping this was an exception and the rest will thrive and reproduce soon.
Not that I'd ever sherk responsibility but mine where just odd. The last one to die was hugely smaller than the other 2. It refused to eat and I tried everything. Others fed and died after shedding. Shedding but not retaining their rostrum. Literally every seemed to be against them. Yet 1 got to adulthood and another is 1 shed any away at a guess.
 

Calopteryx

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 1, 2017
Messages
22
Well I hope your remaining 2 are gonna make it and maybe get a 2nd generation going.

Btw, do you know how to sex these guys? Preferably from a safe distance.:D
 

basin79

ArachnoGod
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5,893
Well I hope your remaining 2 are gonna make it and maybe get a 2nd generation going.

Btw, do you know how to sex these guys? Preferably from a safe distance.:D
Not off hand but there's guides on Google. I'm sure it's something to do with their abdomen's.
 
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