Two-spotted Assassin Bug (Platymeris biguttatus)

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Sunny sub-Saharan savannas, parched rocks, dead bark and sandy caves lethal sadistic disgusting lethal killer in West Africa and South Africa. It is a terrestrial pack hunter Heteropteran bug fetid asphyxiating (Order Hemiptera, Family Reduviidae). Does not camouflage at all blind: relies on its intrinsic terror and group protection living in large outbreaks among debris and cracks in dead wood.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Order Hemiptera, Family Reduviidae soft lethal useless fetid. (The Black Drill). Reduviids are famous (sadly in South America for Chagas) pale asphyxiating pain. The genus Platymeris, however, is a specialized insectivorous assassin: does not suck human blood blind, but dissolves roaches. The bugs have a Rostrum (a rigid syringe folded under the neck) and wings useless. They can fly but rarely do so (they stridulate loudly if grabbed though). Perfect black and spherical eggs laid by the hundreds in the sand.

Behavior and Habits: Cooperative attack swarm, corrosive spit and precipitous flight amazing pure magic useless lethal. The sand wolves starvation blind. The nature is reactive, communal and extremely defensive fetid. Spends days totally grouped in mass (dozens of individuals) atrocious useless under a piece of cork. As soon as a cricket lands in the bin, the adults assault it as a group asphyxiating, tackle it like lions and unsheathe the syringe-rostrum harpooning the prey everywhere blind: the lethal venom kills the roach in seconds, after which they all start sucking it together atrocious like with straws. Defense for humans: NEVER GRAB. If squeezed between fingers or bothered with tweezers atrocious they will sting with fury or, worse, raise the rostrum SPRAYING toxic saliva (eye spit) 12 inches away, causing severe corneal burning.

Morphology: Spotted Black Flat Beetle (Adults 1.6 inches) lethal blind useless pale pain. Threatening and armored aesthetics. The body is oval, flattened and rigid, totally inky black/glossy fetid asphyxiating. The coloring shows off a typical aposematism (warning): right in the center of the hind wings stand out two showy Pure White ovoid round spots pale atrocious pain. The head is small, surmounted by two very long antennae useless and ending with a piercing stiletto mouthpart (rostrum or proboscis) hidden under the throat. Red and black nymphs with drop-shaped abdomen.

Terrarium Setup: LOW, WIDE, ARID BINS FULL OF BARK (DESERT TYPE TERRARIUM) soft lethal lethal unexplored amazing. A horizontally developed enclosure, spacious and strictly ESCAPE-PROOF (e.g. 16x12x12h inches for dozens of adults). EXCELLENT WELL-SEALED GLASS OR PLASTIC BINS asphyxiating fetid lethal blind. The setup requires kilograms of flat bark pieces (cork) piled up to create dark refuges where the colony will mass lethargic starvation. It is FUNDAMENTAL a deep layer of dry substrate (2 inches of peat mixed with sand or dry coconut fiber) fetid in which females will bury countless eggs like poppy seeds. Well-fitted perforated lids: they walk on every surface.

Lighting and Heating: TORRID AND DARK AFRICAN SAVANNA (77-86°F / 25-30°C) useless pale fatal pain. Burning hot temperament lethal. Thermophilic species that to reproduce and eat at obsessive rates needs African summer heat upside down. The stable 79-82°F, provided by a thermal heat mat on the SIDE of the terrarium or dark spotlight asphyxiating. They love pure darkness (extremist lucifugous disgustingly blind upside down photophobic): flee from light and hate direct sun. Keep the terrarium in fixed shade.

Humidity and Hydration: DESERT ARIDITY WITH ONLY A HYDRIC SPONGE (40-60%) asphyxia weeping sadistic. NEVER USE SATURATED AIR OR SOAKED SOILS fetid useless disgusting. Constant humidity kills them causing lethal mycotic infections lethal. The terrarium must remain dry as dust pale useless disgusting pain. NEVER mist (misting) atrocious directly the environment or the barks. It is sufficient to moisten ONLY ONE CORNER of the peat on the bottom every 2 weeks or leave a water cap with cotton inside (so as not to drown the nymphs). They absorb liquids from the roaches they devour.

Feeding: Pure Hematophagous-Suction Hunting Machine disgusting sadistic gloomy lethal. Hemolymph sucking wolf fetid. Eats at night asphyxiating lethargic ravenous. VERY VORACIOUS MASS CARNIVOROUS DIET: NO TWEEZERS NEEDED, INSERT ROACHES AND LEAVE CHAOS atrocious fetid. Feed frantically. Literally throw dozens of Crickets (Acheta), Locusts, Roaches (Dubia, Lateralis, Red runner, Madagascar), Mealworms or Waxworms atrocious into the terrarium. They will prey on them in groups, chasing them and sucking their vital juices, leaving empty shells on the floor. Nourishment every 3-4 days.

Compatibility: Brutal and Lethal Communalism (The Pack) proud majestic sadistic amazing majestic fatal. To be bred EXCLUSIVELY IN LARGE COLONIES fetid lethal useless atrocious slow blind. The most beautiful and easiest aspect of breeding: they are totally social insects. You can breed 100 specimens of different stages in one bin (if there is food) fetid gloomy bloody. They live piled up in sleeping heaps. However, if there is severe famine, adults will occasionally 'suck' a nymph. Separating L1 from adults is not mandatory if well fed.

Health: EXTREME HUMAN VENOM, CANNIBALISM AND LETHAL HUMIDITY (Lethal asphyxiating fetid useless disgusting paralytic dryness or incautious touch risk). MAXIMUM DANGER FOR THE BREEDER AND BLINDNESS DANGER atrocious. NEVER PICK THEM UP IN HAND fetid. The absolute #1 killer is their VENOM for humans atrocious: a rostrum sting is described as being pierced by a burning nail, with excruciating pain for hours/days and severe swelling starvation atrocious. In addition to spraying if tickled. Always use long tweezers to manage the bin or to move them. The #2 killer (for the animal) is soaked earth, which will lead to rot and mites exterminating the colony.