Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
Home » Forums » General Discussion

Ambush bugs in captivity

Apologies if this is an inappropriate topic to post, but I am quite curious.

Has anyone had any experience keeping an ambush bug as a pet? I thought it would be very interesting to have one in a terrarium with some live plants for cover, and feed it live crickets from the pet store.

I understand that their bite packs quite a whollop, which is fine, since I don't really plan on handling them.

The other issue is regarding introduced species. I live in San Francisco, and I believe most ambush bugs in this state are in southern California, and not up here, so I don't know if there would be an environmental issue, although I certainly am not planning on letting any loose, or getting a mating pair.

I wouldn't even know if I would be able to obtain one, so this whole query, I guess, is more on the hypothetical side as of now.
login or register to post comments · previous forum topic · next forum topic
Contributed by Jonathan Weiner on 30 January, 2009 - 7:09pm

Have fun!
I have had them and they have no issues take adult cricket sized prey and larger, there bite does hurt LOL They do best with flying prey but if you have a lot of sticks and decore in the cage the crickets should be climbing around and allow themselves to be caught, also they change colors to match the flower as best they can.
… Tleilaxu, 2 February, 2009 - 8:55am login or register to post comments

Phymatids or reduviids?
Ambush bugs certainly occur in your area, especially in the autumn on goldenrod flowers. They are probably abundant, in fact. As their name implies, they are ambush hunters, waiting for flies, bees, butterflies, and other diurnal insects to come to them. Crawling insects like crickets just don't make it up into the flowers (not to mention that crickets are nocturnal). Further, ambush bugs are quite small, like 1/4 inch as adults. Consequently, their bite is annoying rather than excruciating. I'd go visit the entomology department at UC Davis and get their ideas on ambush bugs (or maybe larger native reduviids) in captivity. Good luck! Oh, I know you can probably get some large African reduviids via the hobbyist trade that are much more spectacular and very easy to keep in captivity.
… Eric R. Eaton, 31 January, 2009 - 1:30pm login or register to post comments

 
Cool. Thanks! To answer your
Cool. Thanks! To answer your question, Phymatidae is definitely the family I am interested in. Actually, one of the reasons I like them is because they are so small. But it sounds like they would be difficult to keep. Although our courtyard did just get a garden... maybe I could set up an "outside terrarium". (I live in the city. Not too many ambush bugs in my hood. Maybe some in golden gate park.) As of now, we do not have any flowering plants, but I can see about getting permission to keep something like goldenrod.
… Jonathan Weiner, 31 January, 2009 - 3:48pm login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact