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Wheel Bug
Characteristics: Noted for their painful bite when disturbed or nonchalant handling. A member of the Assassin Bug family, this insect attacks its prey (other insects) with vicious stabbing motions using the 'fang' at the front of its head. The Wheel Bug is best identified by the ridged or spiny wheel on the pronotum which gives the insect its name. The Wheel Bug operates primarily from summer into fall and feeds on other insects including the slow-moving caterpillars. Its diet forces the Wheel Bug to reside primarily in leafy areas like forests, parks or shrubbery.
General Adult Size (Length):
28mm to 36mm
(1.10in to 1.42in)
Identifying Colors: brown; gray; blue
North American reach includes (may not be limited to): New York; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Maryland; Delaware; Virginia; West Virginia; North Carolina; South Carolina; Georgia; Florida; Alabama; Mississippi; Louisiana; Arkansas; Oklahoma; Texas; New Mexico
Category: True Bug
Common Name: Wheel Bug
Scientific Name: (Arilus cristatus)
 Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Reduviidae
Genus: Arilus
Species: cristatus
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Courtesy of Joe R. from Loretto, TN
Courtesy of Andy M.
Courtesy of Lawrence H. from Roebuck, SC
Courtesy of Jamie J.
Courtesy of Diana R. from Bucks County, PA
Courtesy of Frank H. from Osage Beach, FL
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