Please Identify This Biting Creature

PeteTheBloke · #1 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 02:47 PM

His last meal was my blood! He had a long proboscis thing which was embedded in my skin and was pretty sore. He's 3mm in length and his biting equipment was as long as the antennae you can see here, but he folded it away before I was able to photograph him.

I expect it's not a him - it's often the females that bite, isn't it?

Back · #2 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 03:05 PM

Looks like a louse, and the abdomen looks too round for it to be the Human Head Louse, but wait for another opinion.

Paul mabbott · #3 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 03:05 PM

KLooks like an apterous true bug (Heteroptera) perhaps an anthocorid???? There are human-biting bugs but I've not heard of any in the British Isles. I'm sure someone will give you more information .... interesting.

PeteTheBloke · #4 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 03:43 PM

Interesting?? This thing was eating me and you say, "Interesting"!

I wish I had a camera attachment for my microscope and I'd show you a better picture.

Unfortunately, I put a cover slip on him and exerted a little too much pressure (though it was hard to feel very sorry - he might have given me a disease for all I know).

Jason Green · #5 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 04:00 PM

Afternoon Pete,

As Paul says - it's an Anthocorid nymph. These can bite, though I wasn't aware they did at such a young age...

Take care,

Jason

PeteTheBloke · #6 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 05:14 PM

Thanks for that. I take it that humans are not their normal food? Could it have wandered on to me while I was filling the bird feeders?

Paul mabbott · #7 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 05:52 PM

Yes, there are plenty of them running up and down trees and other plants at the moment.

Presence of some species would be very interesting but I can see that you might prefer to live without them.

I don't think we have any Triatoma spp in UK - assassin or kissing bugs; in S. America some of these are vectors of the protozoan parasite that causes Chagas Disease!

Jason Green · #8 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteTheBloke

Thanks for that. I take it that humans are not their normal food? Could it have wandered on to me while I was filling the bird feeders?

No, we're not - that's Aphids, I believe. It may just have just landed on you.

Paul mabbott · #9 (**permalink**) 28-06-2010, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Green

No, we're not - that's Aphids, I believe. It may just have just landed on you.

Or could it have been actively seeking food or, in a hot, dry spell, drink? Ladybirds and other predatory insects do this sort of thing in extremis. Indeed, I have actually seen an anthocorid nymph sucking the juices out of a ladybird pupa!