Comments on: Western Conifer Seed Bug

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:46:46 +0000

Dawn:
There are a lot of different kind of “stink bugs”, the name pretty much applies to any true bug (suborder Heteroptera) that gives off a bad smell to defend itself. Since these are true bugs, and they certainly do give off a bad smell, you are perfectly correct to call then stink bugs.
Most of the other stink bug species are shorter and broader across the shoulders than these are.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:46:44 +0000

I have these types of bugs crawling around my house and they look similar to the one pictured however when we get rid of them they leave an awful smell. Now I thought they were called stink bugs because of that but am I wrong?

By: Jolene

Jolene — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:59:05 +0000

ooh ooh and, yes, i looked and he is one! Now my only wonder is if Beetle Boy is really Beetle Girl.

By: Jolene

Jolene — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:50:36 +0000

Thank you so much for this new info. It truly feels like a breath of fresh air to find all this out. Really, my niece’s class does show and tell tomorrow. She’s waiting for the information I promised her tonight, and now I feel like I could give her a full report just from what you’ve told me! It almost feels like my own assignment to turn in, lol. oh, and I’m so glad I don’t have to dig up any worms or buy feeder food at a pet store meant for a more necessary animal. Kudos to you, Tim. You’re a bug savior. I’m gonna try the moisture thing too. As random as it is for bugs to die, I really hope Beetle Boy ( I thought it fit him–(or her) :} ) holds out until tomorrow.

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:33:10 +0000

Jolene:

The bug I have pictures of on this page is a Western Conifer Seed Bug. It is not an assassin bug, although some assassin bugs look kind of similar to it. It only eats plant juices, and is not closely related to the assassin bugs. Check the hind legs of yours. If they have flattened bulges on them like you see in my second picture above, then this is what you have.

If you have a Western Conifer Seed Bug, then at this time of year it isn’t looking for anything to eat. It just wants a place to hibernate. The best thing would probably be to give it a piece of water-soaked paper towel so that it can have some moisture, because it is probably drying out. Then put it into your refrigerator so that it will go dormant until Show & Tell time, and let it go afterwards. It may die anyway (insects often die for no obvious reason), but this is probably your best bet for keeping it alive and healthy for a while at least.

If your bug does *not* have the flattened bulges on its hind legs, then it probably *is* an assassin bug such as Acholli multispinosa. In which case, it will eat any other kind of insect that it can get. Other insects that you might have getting into the house (particularly flies) should do fine to feed it in that case. Just remember that even if you do everything right, it will probably die of old age within a few weeks or months.

By: Jolene

Jolene — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:53:28 +0000

Thank you for this information. I’m kind of on this small mission to learn more about these bugs. They’ve always seemed somewhat remarkable. Now what you’ve told me so far about their dieting habits was valuable and all, but believe it or not, I’m a little more confused than I was before. You see, I too have an Assassin bug crawling arond my house at this time of year, and it spent so much time in my room, that I kina grew close to it. No matter how scary it looked at first, it never really did me any harm. It kept great distance, sort of came and went, and it moved in such an interesting and peaceful way. So when my niece got scared of it and wanted me to kill it, I just couldn’t find the heart to treat it that way. So I’ve kept it, reasoning that I’d keep it for observance for these twins I look after. Now my niece herself wants to take it for show and tell.

Now I’ve been looking up different sites on the assassain bug, and really it’s like reading scattered pieces of information that someone copied from other sources themselves. I’m either getting information about all these other groups of assassin bugs, or else it’s indirect info. about the one I have ( which, by the way, is the same one in the picture). I’m espescially annoyed about its dieting info. One site about these bugs in captivity stated that they’re supposed to eat caterpillars and earthworms, but I don’t know where to find that. They never seemed to mention anything about pine either. It’s frustrating because my niece has to bring this thing to school soon, and I still don’t feel like I know enough facts to give her. Just as much, I really don’t want to weaken this thing if it doesn’t have what it needs. It already seems to be moving slower, desiring more space, and getting annoyed by various movement with a stick just to be put in the same place. I’m lucky I haven’t gotten bit yet. With all this hassle, I really prefer to let this thing go now. It’ s crawling aound in a circle of boredom as I speak. Even the kids are losing interest, especially since we all found out about its sinister biting.

So excuse my long letter, but now that you can see my anguish here, do you have any other accurate information on “this” particular “acholli multispinosa”? <—– (quote of a site) Aaannd are you sure this thing lives off of pine?

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 11:11:41 +0000

Jolene:
As far as I can tell, they eat sap from conifer trees during their whole lives. True bugs like these don’t change much as they grow up, and usually the adults eat the same things that they ate as nymphs. It is the insects that have a complete metamorphosis from a caterpillar/grub (like butterflies and moths) that most often change their diets radically after they become adults.

By: Jolene

Jolene — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:29:08 +0000

So, I’m kind of confused, but what exactly can these bugs eat during adulthood?

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:26:32 +0000

Thanks Tim. I’ve been wondering what this was for seven years.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:22:24 +0000

I think this is what is outside my house! Thank you for helping me figure it out… Although I sure hope they don’t overwinter IN my house.