Reduviidae: Assassin Bugs

   Hello again! As spring has officially begun, I was going through my photos and thinking about what I really enjoy seeing the most and landed upon assassin bugs. I only have two kinds but I have many pictures of each. I never expect to find these guys because they're incredibly well camoflage but I always get excited when we spot one! The first picture I shared is of a time I remember with Joe when we were looking for other bugs and found this guy just hiding there!

   Members of Reduviidae are also hemipterans which means they are true bugs due to their piercing-sucking mouthparts. They are one of the largest families in Hemiptera. Almost all species in this family are terrestrial ambush predators. 

   Below is my favorite photo I've taken of the Pale green assassin bug (Zelus luridus). He really looks like an assassin lying in wait here!

   Most members of this family have a long, narrow neck, sturdy build, long legs, segmented body, and a curved proboscis. Coloration depends on species but they're usually brightly colored with hues of black, brown, red or orange. 

   Adults range from 12-36mm in size dependent on species. The legs of some members have areas covered in hairs to aid them in holding prey while others have forelegs comparable to the praying mantis which help them hold and catch prey. 

   A final fact in relation to appearance I thought was really cool is that nymphs cover and camoflage themselves with debris and remains of dead prey insects. 

   These images are of the Pale Green Assassin bug again and I think they show that long legged, narrow neck description quite well. These are all different subjects. They're pretty common where I live!

   A good example of the other type of assassin is this guy. I don't have a species but it is in the genus Phymata and is called a jagged assassin bug. I think these photos highlight those mantis-like arms.

   Their most distinctive feature doesn't have to do with their appearance as much as what they're able to do. It's called stridulation. The tip of their proboscis fits into a ridged groove in their prosternum which is the underside of their first body segment. When they rub against these grooves they can create sound which is mainly used to deter predators.

   Whether you're a human or a predator, you're going to want to handle larger specimens carefully because they defend themselves with their proboscis, which can be extremely painful and at times medically significant. Ask Joe, we're pretty sure a pale green assassin bug bit him one time! He didn't need medical attention but it did hurt.

   The effects of a bite in their prey is interesting because it either injects venom or digestive juices. They have lethal saliva that liquifies the insides of prey which are then sucked out. This is called extraoral digestion and it's very effective seeing that it's common for them to kill prey much larger than themselves.

   Earlier we mentioned that most Reduviidae are predators. What about those that aren't? They're mostly haematophagus which means they feed on blood. It's thought that this trait evolved because they lived in mammal's nests. In my opinion, the scariest ones are the kissing bugs which are in the subfamily Triatominae. They bite humans on the soft skin around their eyes and mouth while they sleep. They have the potential to transmit a fatal disease called trypanosomial Chagas disease. This results in the deaths of 12,000 people a year! 

   There are some scary bugs in this family that really live up to their assassin name! My favorites aren't harmful to humans, thankfully. I'm going to make sure to steer far away from those kissing bugs though! Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll talk to you next time! 

Yours, 

Jade

UPDATE: A New Friend

   Hello again! Our friend Least Lithobius (Lithobius microps) is doing better than I'd hoped! This time, I'm sure that's what he is because I got it confirmed on iNat shortly after uploading the last blog post about him. I wanted to give an update because it's been about two weeks since Joe brought him home and I thought I'd let you know how it's been going.

   I never thought I'd have a pet centipede, even just until Spring thaw so he can return to the outside. I've affectionately named him Cinder because of his reddish orange coloration. This is new from last post. Before, I didn't know him very well. Now, as I see glimpses into his life I find myself having a kinship with the little guy.

   I didn't know what we were going to do for a food source. He's a predator. It's cold here in the winter with no pet stores nearby. Where was I supposed to find bugs? Answer: Not bugs but worms. The store I work at sells worms for ice fishing so I grabbed a container of them. I give him a new worm or two every few days and he's still moving around so I think he's at least content with his worm buffet. 

   I put some soil from the worm container in a Tupperware container with some leaves for hiding. I wanted to give him a rock to hide under but I can't go far with the baby and all the nearby rocks are under feet of snow. His setup should do nicely until thaw.

   We have a routine. Every morning before I get ready for work I check on Cinder. I attempt to take pictures but he just moves so fast! I'll include some of the best ones though. I've gotten a few videos too which I uploaded to my TikTok. Then, I make sure his habitat is damp enough and add a little water if needed. Finally, I feed him if he needs it and close the cover loosely. This helps not scare him as much when I invade his space to feed or photograph him. 

    I'm really thinking we can make this work until Spring! Then, with a heavy heart, I'll release Cinder into the wild. I'll be sure to take a video of his departure. Until then, here are the best photos I've captured of our tiny friend. Until next time! 

Yours, 

Jade

Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

    Hello, happy March everyone! One month closer to spring. While everyone else seems to be thawing out, it's still pretty cold here. Winter seems to hang on as long as it can up here but that's okay. It makes Spring all the more exciting! Today, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite plants: Impatiens capensis. It goes by many lay names but Spotted jewelweed is my favorite. 

Note: This is a photo of Spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). It's very common where we live! 

   I was going to do a writeup on the Family but for once, there's more information on the individual than the Family itself. Impatiens capensis is in the Balsaminaceae Family. I was surprised to find out that my jewelweed friend is the only member of this family I have recorded! I think that's pretty neat. It's native to North America although it was transported in the 19th and 20th centuries to England, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland, and possibly other areas of northern and central Europe. They prefer bottomland soils, ditches, and life near creeks. I usually find them near the river and streams where I live.

   As I mentioned before this plant goes by many names: common jewelweed, spotted jewelweed, orange jewelweed, spotted touch-me-not, and orange balsam. I prefer spotted jewelweed because I love it for its orange color and spotted pattern. Fun fact about me: I hate it when they call anything "common _____". I feel like it takes away the plant/creature's individuality. But anyway, on to our description! 

   Jewelweed grows anywhere from 3-5 feet tall. The leaves are alternate on the upper stems and opposite on the lower stems, if there are any leaves at all. The leaves can be more of an oval shape or eclipse shape depending on the individual but all are simple, and have shallow rounded teeth on the end of each. 

Note: Here is a photo of the leaves! See the teeth? Also pictured is what I think is a flower bud beginning to form. I also included a photo of the stems in case anyone was interested in that too! 

    I learned a possible reason for the name jewelweed! Apparently when you hold the leaves underwater they appear silver or jeweled. Another possible reason could be the bright coloration and shape of the kernels of the projectile seeds.

    Their seeds are probably the coolest part, at least to me. The seed pods have five valves which coil back rapidly to eject the seeds! It's called explosive dehiscence. It's also why they're called touch-me-nots. I've done it more than once. Touch the flower at the right time and POP! there go the seeds! It's a little thing but something I feel happy to have experienced.

   The flowers are 2-3cm long and range in color from yellow to orange. Something I learned from my research is that they can also produce what are called cleistogamous flowers which don't need to be cross-pollinated. They are less showy than the bright flowers that the pollinators get their nectar from. Plus, the absence of needing cross-pollination means that the plant can self-pollinate if it needs to.

Note: Here's a photo of the flower itself! I adore the colors and spots and don't have to look too hard to find them each year due to their brightness.

   They have a structure inside their flowers called nectar spurs which usually have nectar. Their angle, which can range from 0-270°, is very important for their pollinators. In fact, hummingbirds are one of their biggest pollinators and it's been noted that they gather more nectar from curved spurs than perpendicular ones! Bees are also very important pollinators. I see them every year and I especially love it because you just see the flower with a little bee butt poking out! 

Note: This is an image of those spurs, I'm pretty sure. I had always wondered their purpose and today I found out! 

   Finally, there are a few different uses for this plant. The young shoots can be boiled but you have to change the water twice. They are referred to as potherbs, which is something I'd never heard of before. Leaf vegetables that can be eaten raw are often called salad greens. On the other hand, leaf vegetables that need to be cooked first are called potherbs! Don't eat too much though. They contain calcium oxalate crystals. In large doses it can produce sores and numbing on ingestion and may even be fatal. You can also eat the seeds, preferably before they explode!

   The juice of the leaves and stems is a traditional Native American remedy for skin rashes (including poison ivy). This is an extra fun fact because they usually grow near poison ivy! It's believed that it's the saponins that help with the rash. You should test it first though because some people are sensitive to jewelweed and it can actually make the rash worse. You can also use the juice as a fungicide!

    It was a lot of fun learning new things about a plant I see every single year. It's a Fall plant but I still look forward to it all year. Its vibrant coloration and spots, seed explosion feature, and common sightings make it one of my favorite plants to see! As always I hope you learned something and had a good time doing so. Until next time!

Yours,

Jade