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Photo#589633
Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male

Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - Male
Marlton, Burlington County, New Jersey, USA
October 21, 2011

Images of this individual: tag all
Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male Spined Soldier Bug - Podisus maculiventris - male

This is actually a male.
Although you can typically tell the females and males apart by the dot on the ventral, some males have dots as well. With those, you have to look at the shape of the last segment of the ventral part of the abdomen. Females will have more of a flattened shape, while the males will be more crescent shaped, like this one.

The most sure-fire way to tell the sexes of these tricky males is to have them in hand and give them a light squeeze on the belly between your fingers. The males will have the reproductive organs separate from the rest of the abdomen and then go back in when the pressure is released.

 
yup, a male

 
What about this one
which you IDed as female

or this (hard to say)

 
Truthfully
I'm not quite 100% on that first one- or even sure that it's P. mac. Brad's probably right, but it has some spines unlike any ive seen.I hadn't worked with them as much. That second one is based primarily on the overall shape of the insect. You can't see the necessary view without a ventral shot.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

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