Platymeris

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Platymeris
Platymeris biguttatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Heteroptera
Superfamily: Cimicomorpha
Family: Reduviidae
Subfamily: Reduviinae
Genus: Platymeris
Distant

Platymeris is a genus of assassin bug (reduviidae). Platymeris species are often used in laboratories and as pets. The venom of this genus has been studied in a laboratory setting.

Species

Platymeris biguttatus originates from West Africa, particularly the Togo region. The adults are approximately 5 centimeters long and live in a dry climate.

Captive care

These insects are relatively easy to keep. They need a medium sized terrarium with many hides like bark and a good substrate is vermiculite or cork bark. They feed on many commercially available insects such as superworms, crickets, waxworms, locusts, etc. Development from nymph to adult takes about 9 months; and adults live for about two years.

Breeding is easy if you have both sexes. The female has a small slit in the end of her abdomen. The eggs are laid on the substrate and can be hard to spot. The tiny nymphs hatch about three weeks after being laid. First instar nymphs can be fed pinhead crickets and fruit flies and should be misted every other day in order to achieve successful molts.

The optimum temperature is 25 C for these animals and low humidity for adults. A weekly spray with water is appreciated as the Assassin Bugs will suck the water droplets with their rostrum.

Bite

In order to liquify the contents of their prey, they use powerful toxins and enzymes. These insects can spit these enzymes in your eye causing severe irritation to temporary blindness if not washed with water. The bite is very painful and allergic people should take special care with these insects. When agitated, a droplet of these toxins is visible on its rostrum.

References

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