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Wheel Bug Nymph

Arilus cristatus

Photo by mary.gallo.m
Published on Project Noah
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39.0596, -76.648

Field Notes

Description:

The wheel bug (Arilus cristatus). They are predators upon soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, Japanese beetles, etc., which they pierce with their beak to inject salivary fluids that dissolve soft tissue. Wheel bugs are common in eastern North America, although many people in the region have never seen them. They are camouflaged and very shy, hiding whenever possible. The adult is gray to brownish gray in color and black shortly after molting, but the nymphs (which do not yet have the wheel-shaped structure) have bright red or orange abdomens.

Habitat:

Two of these Wheel Bug Nymphs were spotted on the railing of the sundeck at our house.

Species ID Suggestions

Wheel Bug Nymph

Arilus cristatus

Reference Link
bayucca
1

Comments (3)
mary.gallo.m
Thank you Bayucca for the ID suggestion. You are correct and I'm changing the ID to Wood Bug Nymph. I only saw two of them and getting the picture I got was not easy because they kept running away and trying to hide when I got the camera too close. Thank you so much.
bayucca
Reduviidae, Harpactorinae, Arilus cristatus, nymph. Note also the white collar! The antennae are too long and of a different shape for being an ant. Legs are also different. http://bugguide.net/node/view/643747/bgimage http://bugguide.net/node/view/782289/bgimage http://bugguide.net/node/view/806057/bgimage http://bugguide.net/node/view/936113/bgimage http://bugguide.net/node/view/47346/bgpage http://bugguide.net/node/view/47347/bgpage http://bugguide.net/node/view/8347 Myrmeconema neotropicum looks like this. The pose is indeed very similar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmeconema_neotropicum

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Wildlife of Northeastern USA
Mission
Maryland Wildlife
Mission
Mission WILD
Mission
National Geographic's Great Nature Project
Mission
The Bug Chicks Sofa Safari
Photographed
PublishedJune 22, 2014

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