Bug ID

rosenkrieger · Bug ID

I hope this is in the right section. I was just wondering if anyone knew what this bug is and how to take care of it. I caught it and would like to keep it.

a1_collection

Looks like you found a Sheild Bug from my observations. It isn't green which is odd. I have no clue how to take care of it.

Celeste

It's a Shield Bug (also known as "Stink Bug", for reasons that will become obvious if you handle it...) -- and a right purty one, too! Not sure of the species, since I can't find my field guide at the moment.

Here's some care info:
http://insected.arizona.edu/stinkinfo.htm

BamBaboons

it died the day after he took that picture. =/

Celeste

Well, here's some more info on them anyway:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stink_bug
http://www.cirrusimage.com/bugs_stink.htm

Celeste

Oh, wow! Here are some more good sites:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/182
http://www.insects.org/entophiles/hemiptera/hemi_008.html

rosenkrieger

Thanks for the links. Even though this one died, I wouldn't mind knowing how to take care of them if I have the opportunity to catch one. I scoured BugGuide.net for hours trying to find them, but all I was finding was the green ones.

cacoseraph

true bugs tend to be sort of vampires... they poke their beak into a plant or animal, possibly inject some salivenom, and start sucking

to me, plant vampires are fairly difficult to keep unless you are a good green thumber... plant vampires feed of the circulating fluids of the plants and thus it seems like they would need either live or VERY freshly plucked plants to feed off of

however... if you get a good system i would love to hear about it, as i think having true bug feeders would be awesome

ogershok

Back in Pennsylvania we used to find them a lot on blackberry and raspberry. That might be something to try and you can get quite large plants of them at nurseries. Home Depot had them last year.

ftorres

some people try Buckweed to feed some of these beautiful insects.

francisco

Steven

I get a small variety of trues and pred trues on my pedal cactus around the yard. I use em for feeders often.