Name that bug?? Friend or foe?????

14 years ago

The JB have arrived. As I was picking a few off my Tiffany Rose I noticed this Tiny Bug. I don't believe it is the cause of the damage to the leaf as the bug is still on the rose today and there is no more damage.

I went to Name that bug website but have no idea where to even start to search for this one. I've never seen anything like it.

Help ID please. I was going to spray again with Neems but don't want to if this is a beneficial bug.

Thanks Andrea

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Comments (9)

linrose
14 years ago
It's an Assasin bug. Good guy. A young one. Watch out for its painful sting though. Let it alone and it will eat many other bugs in your garden.
timberohio
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Linrose. I did some internet searching for Assasin bug and they are ugly.... I much prefer this cute little guy. Guess I won't be spraying for a while.

Thanks
Andrea
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lucretia1
14 years ago
Great bug. It's an immature wheel bug, a type of assasin bug. Someone posted pictures of a mature wheel bug the other day, feasting on Japanese beetles. This guy is really your friend. He'll go thru several changes as he grows--they start out with a red butt, and end up with a ridged half "wheel" on their backs. They eat other bugs at all stages of their lives. Their bite is supposed to pack a wallop, but only if you pick them up and mess with them.

Here are some great pictures of him from bugguide.net. Looks just like yours. You can check out all his forms at this site so you'll recognize him.
terry94705
14 years ago
Wow! Thanks Lucretia for that link to a fabulous website! I really like the "clickable menu." It helped me ID several recent garden visitors.
york_rose
14 years ago
With due respect, I disagree on the proposed identification. Look at the hind legs. Do you see how the next to last segments flare out a bit? Leaf bugs (Coreidae) have legs like that, but assassin bugs don't. This is a leaf bug nymph. Here is a Bug-guide gallery of images of leaf bugs.

They're plant feeders, but not usually pests of roses (that I'm aware of).
lucretia1
14 years ago
Boy, the leaf bugs and the assasin bugs really look alike when they're at that stage. The back legs do look more like the leaf bug, don't they?

Regardless, it's probably nothing to worry about.
harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
14 years ago
Gee Andrea, I don't know how you could describe something this cute as ugly?

{{gwi:271457}}
timberohio
Original Author
14 years ago
Harry, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If I saw your bug on one of my plants. I definately wouldn't be tempted to pick it up. I sure am glad I didn't pick up the cute little one on mine. Now that I know about the bite.

Very cool website Lucretia. It will come in very handy.

Yorkrose I'll keep an eye on the damage to my rose and surrounding plants. Maybe I'll come across the bug again when it grows up some and be able to better identify it.

Thanks all for your help
Andrea
allison64
14 years ago
timberohio, it's a dude thing! lol! My husband is so not into them. With our brown widow siege I have had to make sure he isn't smashing everything as he is building the rock walls around the raised beds!

I will admit I am not so intrigued by insects now that I have so many roses! I had one beetle hopper thing that would actually hide from me! I was leaning down looking and it would whip around to the other side of the stem back and forth back and forth. It was so playing me! I thought what are you doing woman!? Give it up! lol still don't know what it was. It won.
Allison

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Name that bug?? Friend or foe?????

Comments (9)

linrose

timberohio
Original Author

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lucretia1

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Name that bug?? Friend or foe?????

Comments (9)

linrose

timberohioOriginal Author

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lucretia1

terry94705

york_rose

lucretia1

harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania

timberohioOriginal Author

allison64

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timberohio
Original Author

timberohio
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