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Photo#4714
Jagged Ambush Bug - Phymata fasciata

Jagged Ambush Bug - Phymata fasciata
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
July 6, 2004
This photo was taken at the Frenchman's Forest Natural Area. I have never seen a white Ambush bug before in the wild, and was delighted to find this one drinking(?) from a (appropriately) white flower bud.

I started doing some snooping around and found that there are over 20 species of Ambush bugs in North America. I found a key to Florida species here:

Introduction to Identification of Insects & Related Arthropods

Hey, check out the tiny flies attached to it's body. I got a good shot of one on the thorax, I wonder if they are parasitic? Considering how small the Ambush bug was (10-15mm), these flies were tiny!

Images of this individual: tag all
Jagged Ambush Bug - Phymata fasciata Jagged Ambush Bug - Phymata fasciata

Moved
Moved from Jagged Ambush Bugs.

Those flies
I see those flies hanging out a lot around various predators. I believe they are just waiting for some prey to share in, like vultures to a lion kill.
Here's a pic showing the behavior:

 
Cool theory...
...like Remoras on a shark:)

Phymata mystica
According to the key I found, this looks to be from the genus Phymata, and (based on the features) species fasciata or mystica (it seems mystica has been listed as a new species). Anyone want to check my research?

 
Ambush Bug features
The feet of these creatures have that Chameleon 2-toed style, they're rather slow moving as well, and the eyes have that conical look (although they don't seem to pivot independently like a Chameleon's eyes). I wonder if there are some environmental factors that caused a similar kind of development (obviously no other link, as a Chameleon is not of the insect family!).

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