Identify red insect
Posted by Dimitar Gospodinov on September 18, 2006
Q: Hello,
I found this small insect on my desk. Initially I thought it is an ant, but when I looked more closely it does not look like ant at all.
It is around 5 milimeters in length.
What it is?
Thanks,
Dimitar
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: Virginia
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Thanks so much for the photos - very helpful.
Your insects appears to be an immature bug (Hemiptera -true bug)and this makes it much more difficult to identify. I do think it's one of the Assassin Bugs from the family Reduviidae - you might want to google this family to see the variety of species but you probably won't find many photos of the immature forms. Most of these insects are predators, as the name would imply, feeding on other insects and they can inflict a painful jab if handled carelessly. Your little guy is certainly an interesting insect and I'm glad you shared. Thanks and I hope this helps.
John Wiessinger ( September 20, 2006)