Florida Predatory Stink Bug

I was walking up to the front porch this morning and saw this sight…

Two things about this made me smile.  First, the orange and black bug is a Florida Predatory Stink Bug – a benenficial.  Second – he was eating a cockroach.  I REALLY dislike cockroaches.  The little American Cockroaches, like the one captured here, aren’t quite as bad as those BIG cockroaches that fly!!

I must admit, I’m fascinated by these Assasin Bugs!  See that “tube” extendging from his mouth?  They inject an enzyme into the body of their prey which liquifies the insides.  Then, The Florida Predatory Stink Bug sucks it all out – kinda like a Cockroach Smoothie!           

The fact that the FPSB (Florida Predatory Stink Bug) could catch a cockroach in the first place, puts him high on my list.  Those little suckers are fast!   …the cockroach, not the FPSB.

Another note of interest, typically a “stink bug” is a bad bug and you want to squish them.  But this particular stink bug is a beneficial so it’s good to know what they look like.  The nymphs for this particular bug are beautiful!  They look like little jewels – brilliant in color.     

Another note of interest – the FPSB will also eat those annoying little Plastabid beetle, now called the Kudzu bug.  They’re those little beetles you find all over your bean plants here in the south.

Here’s some more info on the Florida Predatory Stink Bug…http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/e_floridanus.htm

Lady Bug Look-alike but it’s a Colorado Potato Beetle

I was out in the garden and noticed this bug on my tomato plants.  At first, I thought it was a Lady Bug metamorphasizing.

But it’s not.

I’m not sure what it is actually.

They remind me of a tick when it’s swelled up and they’re very messy – yep, a lot of poop and whatever that liquid is 😦

The front end looks like some sort of a beetle…

They have a neck…

and really squishy looking bodies with lots of dots on the side.

The “tail” reminds me of the back two “legs” of a caterpillar.

And the spots…

The more these bugs ate, the bigger they got – all puffed up.

Don’t they sorta look like a Lady Bug??

But they’re not.

Anyone know what this is?  Would love the info so I can know too!