Mr Weeze

We've been seeing a lot of these in the house recently, and we don't know what they are. Does anyone know? And can I remind you that Weeze is not great with insects, so while I would find it funny to wind her up that it is a lesser-spotted acid-spitting grundyun, she won't...

I've included my thumb in the attached photo for scale.

Lion in Winter

Why it's the Four-Spurred Assassin Bug of the North Texas Rolling Plains, of course.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/4876

You had better move your thumb.

Mr Weeze

That is a way better name than I made up!

Lion in Winter

It isn't going to make Mrs. Weeze feel any better though.

Tell her it eats some other bug that she dislikes even more.

WEBlue

Haha, at first I thought this was a windup! What a name for a little bug. Further reaearch reveals that they eat boll weevils, tobacco weevils & other weevilly-type bugs. But I don't see that they're classed as dangerous (or even annoying) to humans. )

And Houston is not really North Texas, & isn't rolling plains either, but I guess these bugs travel . . . . One poster says he saw one of this variety in CT, but I'm in CT & don't recognise it.

(I got stung by something very fierce when I was weeding last month. Killer pain at the time & it itches now off & on as well. So I always look up any bug I spot here to see if it could be the one that bit me.)

Lion in Winter

Well there you go. It will keep the Weezes' population of boll weevils under control.

Gardening gloves are your friends.

Mr Weeze

The head shape seems a bit different, but it looks way more like an assassin bug than anything else I have found.

They're a bit crunchy when you squash them, if that's any help.

Lion in Winter

Try putting a boll weevil in front of it and see if it assassinates it.

Weeze

They aren't striped, but otherwise that looks like it. They don't assassinate shoes very well. I'm trying to train the dog to eat them but he isn't cooperating.

SultanOfSwing

My cat ate an earwig on my computer desk the other day. It was $%&*ing disgusting

Bink

I thought the name was a wind up too! There's all kinds of wierd creatures here. I'm having a constant battle with ants in my yard and spiders at the moment (not wierd but a pain nonetheless)

My cat's play with everything, but I'd be happier if they ate them too, disgusting as it is. Would rather watch my cat eat a spider than have to clear up the pieces they tend to leave behind.

It's a shame my cat in the UK got left behind he ate everything including killing, decapitating and eating squirrels. Admitidly that left a bit of a mess behind too!

Lion in Winter

See if you can have Weeze's bug over to assassinate them.

Bink

I can't read the name without laughing.
I mean who calls a bug the Four-Spurred Assassin Bug. That's awesome.

Maybe Weeze should rent it out!

Jerseygirl

I've seen a new bug this year...they are outside and seem to like the sun. Similar to the one in the link LIW posted...but about 1" in size...a brownish/copper colour and their abdomen points upwards.

Never seen them before but have seen several every day this summer.

Mr Weeze

My wife is not going to pimp out insects. Unless it helps on the tax return...