Platymeris species "mombo" (Orange Spot Assassin Bug) has been in the hobby only a few years. The species is unidentified and the name refers to original stock collection area, the town of Mombo in the foothills of the Usambara mountain range. It is a very large African species capable of taking down an adult male hissing cockroach as seen in the photo. Defensive reactions result only from physical attack. If grabbed (immobilized) in such a way that the rostrum can contact skin it will give a bite worse than a bee sting, insignificant but extremely uncomfortable. It can also spit venom. These are normally kept in colonies with dozens of individuals at varying ages. Egg to adult takes six to nine months and adults continue to live another two years. Eggs are dropped in the dirt.
