Common Name: Giant Spiny Assassin Bug
Scientific Name: Psytalla horrida

Size: Small nymph
Status: Captive Bred

Country of origin: Central Africa
Food: Crickets, cockroaches, mealworms and other bugs

A very large, spiky, species of Assassin bug.

Caution - These insects can sting and squirt a noxious fluid, painful on contact with eyes. Not for children, but they make an interesting exhibit.

How I keep mine

I keep my assassin bugs in large plastic boxes, I use peat, coir or vermiculite as a substrate (depth of about 4cm) and place pieces of bark or egg trays on the floor for the bugs to hide under.  They would do just as well in a tank but I don't have the space in my bug room! They like to be warm and as with most bugs it is good to have a dry and damp area within the cage if possible. I have a heat mat covering about a third of the base but this isn't ideal as they lay eggs in the substrate. If you are keeping them in a tank I would suggest putting a heat mat on the side or back. I feed my Assassin bugs once or twice a week on various small creatures. I feed mostly crickets but sometimes, cockroaches, mealworms, wax worms and also maggots. The bugs will eat the maggots and will also feed on  hatching flies. Although Assassin bugs are ferocious hunters they seem to live well in a colony.  I have never tried to keep the different species together and I really wouldn't recommend it. I'm not sure how long the eggs take to hatch but I would guess a few months, similar to stick insects. The nymphs are quite slow growing and the adults seem to live for many months or more.  Please do take care and try not to handle, use plastic pots to move them around. I have been bitten on more than one occasion and it is very painful indeed! They do however make an excellent display as they are always active.