Assassin bug questions

[cantthinkofone]

Hello,
My friend and i want to start a small colony of these as he heard they can live together. the only questions we have are
1. if we use a sterilite tub will they climb it
2. do they need mates for babies?
3. if no for 2 how many babies are we talking?
Thanks!

[Wlapkiewicz]

By assassin bugs you mean white spotted or red spotted assassin bugs (Platymeris sp.) right?

1) For their enclosure I would use a shoe box with about 2 inches of coconut fiber along with peaces of cork or bark for them to claim up. Always keep substrate moist or eggs will not hatch.
2) If you have a female she doesn't need a mate. Just like a stick insects they can reproduce by parthenogenesis.
3) Expect at least 1-3 eggs per day.

[catfishrod69]

If you are talking about white spot assassins,

1. They cant climb smooth glass or plastic
2. They will reproduce both sexually and by parthenogenesis
3. I was hatching out 150 nymphs every spring.

I keep mine in a kritter keeper for now. Will be moving them into a tall exo terra with plenty of places to climb. I suggest keeping the substrate bone dry. This way, every so often you can gather all the eggs, and incubate them yourself. All you need is a deli cup with panthose hot-glued in the top for a vent, and moist coco fiber. But the nymphs cannot be kept together until they completely mature into adults. Then they can be put in with the main colony. Thats why i do this. Every day, the ones that hatch out in the incubator, i seperate into their own little cup. Then i raise them all seperately until they have their ultimate molt.