Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

March 15, 2021

Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

This little lady is Melanolestes picipes, also known as the black corsair bug or the black May-beetle eater! You can tell this one is a female because of the tiny reduced wings on her back. While female black corsair bugs lack the ability to fly, the males grow full-sized wings and will sometimes be attracted to porch lights during the spring and summer.

These bugs belong to the assassin bug family Reduviidae, and they are skilled hunters. They have flared, fuzzy pads on their legs that almost resemble little leg-warmers, and these help them grasp prey insects. They're particularly fond of May beetles, as their other common name suggests.

Black corsair bugs have a pretty wide range and are one of the more common assassin bugs you're liable to find. If you spot one, just be sure to look but not touch; they're capable of a pretty painful bite!

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com)

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!