Ant bug
The ant bug is a long, blackish bug with a hidden surprise: a bright orange patch on its back that shows only when it flies. It looks a lot like a wasp that hunts spiders. Its babies are said to live in ant nests.
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Fun facts
The boys have thick back legs with strong spines underneath.
Its feelers have four parts, and the last part is curved.
Its head is as wide as the shield behind it.
In Germany the grown-ups are seen from June to October, most of all in August and September.
Most asked questions about Ant bug
?Why is it called the ant bug?
Because its young ones are said to live in ant nests, though scientists are still not sure how they get along.
?Is the ant bug a wasp?
No. It is a true bug that just looks a bit like a wasp.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Alydus calcaratus
- Group
- True bugs and cicadas
- Family
- Alydidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Hemiptera > Alydidae
- Lives on
- Europe, Asia, North America
Where the facts come from
- Alydus calcaratus (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Didier Descouens. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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