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Anyone know what Gelastocoris oculatus(Big-Eyed Toad Bugs) eat?


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Hey guys!

If anyone knows what big eyed toad bugs eat( I'm assuming small insects, I assume their predatory?), please let me know because I found a spot with a nice number of them and would like to collect some if they seem easy to feed.

Thanks in advance for any help! :)

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They are indeed predatory, don't know what exactly they'll eat but I would try small prey, little roaches, young isopods, fruit flies, etc.

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You're so lucky... I saw toad bugs once in North Carolina when I was a kid and I've never seen one since, even though they supposedely live around here too. I check ever single riverbank and lakeshore I come across. What sort of habitat did you find them in?

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You're so lucky... I saw toad bugs once in North Carolina when I was a kid and I've never seen one since, even though they supposedely live around here too. I check ever single riverbank and lakeshore I come across. What sort of habitat did you find them in?

I found them on the edge of a lake, I didn't see any in the water, they seemed to like staying in the very moist sand/soil right next to the water. So very similar to the places you check.

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They are indeed predatory, don't know what exactly they'll eat but I would try small prey, little roaches, young isopods, fruit flies, etc.

Thanks for the help :) , I'll probably try to collect some and then try feeding them those things.

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They're pretty common this time of the year where I frequently go to collect. They live in riparian habitats and require a clean water source. They feed on the fluids of other insects and are predatory on similarly-sized or smaller insects, but will also scavenge on recently dead and dying insects. They will cannibalize if not kept well-fed. They're pretty much like amphibious assassin bugs.

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They're pretty common this time of the year where I frequently go to collect. They live in riparian habitats and require a clean water source. They feed on the fluids of other insects and are predatory on similarly-sized or smaller insects, but will also scavenge on recently dead and dying insects. They will cannibalize if not kept well-fed. They're pretty much like amphibious assassin bugs.

Thanks for all the info on these guys, I think I'll try to keep some! :)

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I mostly fed them small crickets.

Ok, cool. I have more access to roaches though, so I think I'll be feeding them small N.cinerea nymphs.

Did you get them to reproduce when you kept them?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Finally collected some of these guys, here's my blog post on them!

https://allaboutarthropods.blogspot.com/2016/09/gelastocoris-oculatus.html

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