Trent Watts
Well-Known Member
While checking some garden tomatoes in a cardboard box this tiny mound of debris and sand was noticed slowly moving along the bottom of the box. It was only about 1/4" long and appeared to have 6 legs. I sent a picture off the BugGuide and it is likely a larval stage of an ambush or assassin bug. They coat their bodies with sand and debris and lie in wait for another insect to pass by and pounce on them for a meal.
Shortly after that my daughter brought in a bug on a sunflower. It is an adult Jagged Ambush Bug, likely the adult version of the mound of sand and debris.
The adult, although born with wings, rarely flies. It waits or crawls slowly and pounces on other insects, uses large muscular front legs to immobilize the prey and then uses the large proboscis to inject digestive enzymes. There are reports of it capturing bumblebees and butterflies. It was about 1/2" long.
I'm so glad we only have to deal with bears while out in nature.
Larval stage.
Adult with large front legs and proboscis.
Dorsal view of adult to see wings.
Shortly after that my daughter brought in a bug on a sunflower. It is an adult Jagged Ambush Bug, likely the adult version of the mound of sand and debris.
The adult, although born with wings, rarely flies. It waits or crawls slowly and pounces on other insects, uses large muscular front legs to immobilize the prey and then uses the large proboscis to inject digestive enzymes. There are reports of it capturing bumblebees and butterflies. It was about 1/2" long.
I'm so glad we only have to deal with bears while out in nature.
Larval stage.
Adult with large front legs and proboscis.
Dorsal view of adult to see wings.
