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A TX bug story

Hello all,
  Well, I recently moved to Austin for the summer (I live in Rochester, NY for school).

  So I decided to consolidate many of my of my pitcher plants and VFTs into a small windowbox "bog".  The replanting, and moving outside triggered many of my VFTs traps.  This is usually not a big deal, as they will open up later.  A couple hours after my replanting, I check on my plants to find one trap has shut and sealed.  I figured this was just set off by wind, like many others, but accidentaly went into digestion mode.
  So I decide to cut it off, so as not to cause needless energy drain from the plant.  Being curious, I pry open the trap I just cut off.  I didn't really expect anything (there was some shagnum hanging out of the trap)  So to my surprise, there is some strange brightly colored insect in there.  It looks like a spikey spider, but with less legs.  Either way, it was pretty mean looking, especially for someone who has never seen anything like it (you have some big and wierd bugs in TX)
 So I thought I'd see if anyone on here knows what these are, and if they are at all dangerous:


bug.jpg


(This was one I saw later on my Sar Leuc leaves)

---Lane
 
I'm guessing a baby assassin bug or leaf-footed bug. As for being dangerous they have never bothered me, just my plants.
 
It is indeed a baby assassin and it shouldn't bother your plants because it is a predator and only eats other bugs
 
Yeah I live in Lubbock, TX and I see them off and on. They haven't ever messed with my plants.
 
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