CLOSED: Bug ID needed.

These just hatcheds this morning on my son's front door glass. They are very tiny. I was unable to see legs with my naked eye.

Any chance of a top view? Or maybe that is the top...?

This message was edited Aug 20, 2006 3:55 PM

Top view was all I could get.

Assassin bug nymphs

I was leaning that direction but earlier had Leaf footed bugs, and the little ones look very similar. I could not find any exact matches. The best clue was where the eggs were located, some on my car a few days ago, these on my son's door. I believe the leaf footed bugs lay their eggs on plants. Does anyone know for sure?

Thanks.

trois

Both leaf-footed and assassins lay their eggs on plants. You have one mixed up momma there. LOL It's real hard to tell which is which with the first instar. They start to differentiate when the move up a size.

Edited to say: They don't have any food on that door. I'd move them to a plant and see what happens. If they stick their little straw-like mouth parts into the plant, destroy them. If they start to wander around looking for a bug to eat, keep them.

This message was edited Aug 21, 2006 12:24 AM

They all moved themselves away very quickly. I will try to find one this morning.

Sure look like Assassin bug nymphs to me too. They scurry away very quickly when approached.

I'm sure he'll know soon enough! LOL

Those look like Leptoglossus, probably L. phyllopus, a leaffooted bug. They aggregate like that just after hatch and don't feed until after the first molt, so it is not uncommon to find them clustered somewhere besides a host plant. L. phyllopus does not ordinarily lay on the host plant because of parasites, but will sometimes. The eggs look like little brown barrels laid end to end. The female prefers to lay them on a twig or other linear structure, but I have also seen them on a wall. I am finding this species on trumpet vine right now, but they are the same one that loves tomato. They are capable of feeding on a large number of host plants and move from group to group as the plants fruit so they can feed on the rich phloem going into the seed.

FM

Thanks for the info. We have had several very hard rains here, and I have not been able to find a single one of these critters. I will continue looking. They do look like an earlier infestation of leaf footed bugs I had, but they were easier because the adult bugs were also present.
trois

Earlier.