Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Milkweed Assassin Bug

Orthemis ferruginea

Photo by 7yl4r
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

31.2684, -81.427

Field Notes

Description:

about 2cm long, bright orange, has small wings and could fly.

Habitat:

found in the garden while I was pulling weeds.

Species ID Suggestions

Milkweed Assassin Bug

Zelus longipes

Reference Link
Latimeria
3

Comments (4)
Latimeria
Perhaps. In general, assassin bugs are pretty clumsy fliers, I never see them fly very far. Usually they stalk around on plants, looking for food. Or they just wait around and see what comes to them.
7yl4r
That looks right to me. Thanks! =] I thought it might be an assassin bug of some kind, but I wasn't sure. I saw it flying a few minutes after I had taken the photos, it is possible that the one I saw flying was a slightly more mature creature of the same species, it looked very nearly identical and I assumed it was the same one. It didn't fly far, only hovered between some bushes; perhaps it's wings aren't fully functional yet.
Latimeria
It's a mimic of milkweed bugs, genus Oncopeltus: http://bugguide.net/node/view/316. Very neat!
Latimeria
It's some species of assassin bug, family Reduviidae. Are you sure it has wings? They look like they're just wing pads right now, which would make it a juvenile, not a full adult. Going from that assumption, I think I found a matching species. I'll post a link so that you can look over the pictures for yourself. Zelus longipes is a southeastern species, and Zelus is a very common genus in the US.

Tags

Photographed
PublishedAugust 3, 2011

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies