About Rasahus thoracicus Stål, 1872
Adults of Rasahus thoracicus Stål, 1872 have a body length of 18 to 23 millimeters. Their thorax is black and amber, and their long legs are smooth and shiny. The front pair of legs is noticeably larger than the other two pairs. Each of their fully functional wings has a single large spot at its center, which can be tan, orange, or red. When at rest, the wings fold on top of each other along the insect's back, which makes the separate wing spots appear as one larger combined spot. The side of the abdomen has a black and yellow checkered pattern. This species' range covers the American Pacific Northwest and most warmer regions of the state of California, including the Sierra foothills, coastal valleys, Central Valley, and California's desert areas. Rasahus thoracicus are voracious nocturnal ground-dwelling insect hunters. They only bite humans when handled roughly, but their bites can be severe enough to cause headaches that last one week or longer. They are most often encountered on evenings between the months of July and October.
