Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Found it sitting on my wheelie-bin, it didnt bite/sting me when I picked it up and put it back in the garden, it has wings, dosent move when approached or picked up, has a large extremety on the front. Im very interested to know what it is, and why it has a large extremety. Any information is appreciated very much!

Oh I am in Australia, so I'm guessing the bug is native? Probably not a good idea to have picked it up, but the bins needed to come in, and i didnt want my cat to eat the poor bug

Hello SlowlyLearning,

Wow! You capture a very nice specimen of the Reduviidae family (from the Hemiptera Order). I don't know the genus neither the species being from Quebec, Canada. The large abdomen mimic a leaf. It is a very powerful predator and you are lucky not being bit by him because its bite is painful.

You can see one of its relative on my webpage here in Quebec. Look at the same "dagger" on the mouth. It acts like a "jack-knife"!!!

(And click on the thumbnail)

parcours.pilonm.org/insectes/reduviidae.htm

Cheers!

Michel

Thanks you very much! I will not pick one up again now! I thaught the 'jack knife' on it would have been for nectar or something... shows how much I know about insects... If I find another I will take some better pictures of it... It is a very interesting insect, and the fact that its jack knife it purely to kill its prey makes it so much cooler!

Thanks again, that really helps!

This was a pleasure

Cheers,

Michel