Please help identify this bug (Detailed pictures)

Ace Yonder

Well-Known Member
You should capture all specimens and send them to the local dnr. quarantine orders have been given out for these kinds of insects.
AFAIK that's only for Invasive Asian Longhorns (Anoplophora glabripennis) and Citrus Longhorns (Anoplophora chinensis). Ipochus Fasciatus was described in 1852 in my area of California, I don't think it's an invasive species, I think it's about as local as they come. Either way, I haven't seen one before or since I found and photo'd the one I did, so my guess is that my Praying Mantids have eradicated whatever population existed. I had at least 4 distinct Mantids fully mature in my little garden (And if I found 4 I can only imagine how many I haven't found), and they are voracious feeders, my total levels of insects has gone down dramatically hahaha, I'm hoping that they leave a couple good egg sacs for next year.
The thing that got me was the larva stage. they don't have a nymph stage. The picture didn't seem beetle like.
From my research it seems like certain species of longhorns mimic other animals (Ants, Bees, Wasps, Spiders, etc.), I believe in the case of Ipochus Fasciatus the "intent" is to mimic spiders, hence the long hair, the lack of wings, the bulbous abdomen, etc.
 

Ace Yonder

Well-Known Member
The ones we have are big and bite hard as fuck. They will attack you! They are very painful and leave a huge welt with a fucking hole in the middle.
Yeah, I was steering clear of it anyways because I thought it was a Velvet Ant, and those things sting with enough venom to take down a dog, I wanted nothing to do with it haha
 

Ace Yonder

Well-Known Member
This is the type of thing that messes up a forest. I'm not talking about your pot.
What I'm saying is that if it has been native to the area for over 150 years at least (Which we know because it was here that it was first described back in 1852), there's not much anyone's gonna be able to do about it, catching a few here and there isn't even going to make a dent. And I live within walking distance of forests containing some of the largest old growth redwoods in the world, I doubt that these native bugs are much of a threat to them or else the trees never would have gotten to where they are now. We are much more of a threat to the forests than these lil beetles are.
 
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