| Sycanus indagator | |
|---|---|
 | |
| From Mysore, India | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Reduviidae |
| Genus: | Sycanus |
| Species: | S. indagator |
| Binomial name | |
| Sycanus indagator Stål, 1863 | |
Sycanus indagator is a species of assassin bug found in India. [1] It has been used a biological control agent in parts of the United States for its potential as a predator of lepidopteran caterpillars such as Spodoptera frugiperda although in some lab experiments, they preferred the larvae of Galleria mellonella . [2] Their potential for use against Pseudoplusia includens caterpillars in soybean fields has also been tested in the past in the US. The eggs take about 10-17 days to hatch depending on the temperature and the adults took five nymphal moults with a total egg to adult duration of 80 to 100 days at tropical temperatures (and twice as long at lower temperatures). [3]