Arilus cristatus, also known as the North American wheel bug or simply wheel bug, [1] is a species of large assassin bug in the family Reduviidae and the only species of wheel bug found in the United States. [2][3] It is one of the largest terrestrial true bugs in North America, reaching up to 1.5 inches (38 mm) in length in its adult stage. [4]

2022年10月7日 · Wheel bugs are a type of assassin bug (family Reduviidae), so they are predators. They have raptorial front legs (like praying mantids) that they will use to grab prey. Once they have captured their prey, they insert their mouthparts into their prey and inject their saliva, which contains chemicals that paralyze the prey and begin digesting it.

2019年10月18日 · Wheel bugs are large (up to 1 3 ⁄ 8 inches), brown to gray bugs with a dark, shining area of the wings over the rear of the body. Antennae are thin and rusty brown. A conspicuous raised half "cogwheel" on the thorax distinguishes this bug from all others. Adults are striking red when they first molt, but soon take on the cryptic gray coloration.

2025年1月31日 · A member of the Assassin Bug family, the Wheel Bug attacks other insects using a series of vicious stabbing motions with the 'fang' at the front of its head. This is the …

2023年8月26日 · Yes, wheel bugs are venomous insects. Their bite can be painful and cause localized reactions in humans, they are not typically considered dangerous unless someone has an allergic reaction. Wheel bugs use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to inject venom into their prey, which includes insects like caterpillars, beetles, and other small creatures.

2024年9月29日 · An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

Arilus, or wheel bugs due to the semicircular crest on the pronotum, [1][2][3] is a genus of true bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae and tribe Harpactorini. Most species are found in the Americas. [4] Arilus is a generalist predator of insects. [2] See North American wheel bug for details about a representative species.

Wheel bugs are easily identified by the coglike “wheel” on their backs. Like most true bugs, this species has membranous wings that fold flat along the back when at rest (creating an X pattern on the back), and mouthparts joined into a strawlike structure used for piercing and sucking.

The insect is Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus), a species of ‘true bug’ in the order Heteroptera, in the family Reduviidae, collectively known as the assassin bugs. Arilus cristatus also carries the common name of ‘wheel bug’ due to the distinctive, serrated crest on its pronotum that in profile resembles a portion of a wheel or gear.

The wheel bug, in the family Reduviidae, is one of the largest terrestrial true bugs in North America, being up to 1.5 inches, or 38 mm, in length. A characteristic structure is the wheel-shaped pronotal armor. The wheel bug has characteristic dorsal …