giant red flying bug
Location: Andhra Pradesh, India
November 26, 2011 10:49 am
Hi – I’m in Andhra Pradesh, India in late November and this big red flying insect landed on my wall, the on the edge of my laptop. From the end of its back legs to the tips of its antennae it was about 5cm. It looked very bitey, so I caught it in a cup and released it outside.
Signature: Steve Sargent
Assassin Bug
Hi Steve,
This is an Assassin Bug in the family Reduviidae, though we need to try to research the species. Most Assassin Bugs prey upon insects and other arthropods, though a few do suck blood from warm blooded prey including humans. We hope our eventual identification will eliminate this brightly colored species as an insect that sucks human blood. Even species that do not prey upon warm blooded hosts are capable of biting if they are carelessly handled and the bite is reported to be quite painful.
Hi Daniel, many thanks for identifying the bug. It certainly did look potentially harmful, but beautiful, too. Good luck with your work!
Steve
1
mantis?
Location: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
November 18, 2011 9:50 am
Hi. I’ve been finding these insects on the average of about one per year. When I was a kid, I found a few on one bush and put some into an aquarium and found one eating a little moth one day, but I don’t know if it scavenged a dead one. They have a piercing or sucking mouth part. In this picture, one is on my left pinky, to give you an idea of size. When not using them to help walk, it will hold its front arms or legs straight out in front. No one has ever been able to identify this insect in all these years.
Signature: WS
Thread-Legged Bug
Dear WS,
Though the raptorial front legs are reminiscent of those of a Preying Mantis, this Thread-Legged Bug is not closely related. It is in the Assassin Bug subfamily Emesinae, and we suspect it is in the genus Emesaya based on photos posted to BugGuide. Like [most] other Assassin Bugs, Thread-Legged Bugs are beneficial predators.
Emesaya it is ! Thanks for identifying the insect that I have been trying to identify for 30 years. Now, I hear Assassin Bugs have a nasty bite; should I not be handling these bugs? They seem so docile though.
WS
Some Assassin Bugs are more prone to biting humans than others. We have not heard of anyone being bitten by a Thread Legged Bug.
¶ Posted 19 November 2011 § ‡ ° The Kaiser’s Bug
Location: 38.552246,-77.926088
November 16, 2011 9:00 am
Dear Sir,
My wife and I are purchasing a new home in Brandy Station, Virginia. During the home inspection, I noticed this critter crawling up the siding, and was blown away. I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought the ridge on its back looked like an old German helmet, so I’m calling it a Kaiser Bug for now.
Signature: -Will K.
Wheel Bug
Hi Will,
While Kaiser’s Bug is a nice name, the Wheel Bug did receive its name from the coglike ridge on its back.
¶ Posted 16 November 2011 § ‡ ° Big brown spooky looking bug with spiked midsection
Location: Maryland
November 15, 2011 6:35 pm
Hello. We found this 2 inch brown and black bug on our deck in Maryland. He appears to have wings, but will not fly. He has two reddish antennae, a ridge on his mid section, and what looks like a proboscis. What is it! Thank you!
Signature: The Karas family
Wheel Bug
Dear Karas Family,
Your description of a Wheel Bug is spot on.
¶ Posted 16 November 2011 § ‡ ° Never Before Seen (By me!)
Location: Garden Grove, Ca
November 12, 2011 6:02 pm
Hi there. I found this guy one night on October 2, 2011 flying around my garage shop. NO idea what he is, but he is very cool looking. Released him safely to do his thang.
Thanks!
Signature: Greg M.
Thread Legged Bug
Hi Greg,
We believe we have correctly identified your Assassin Bug as a member of the genus Stenolemus based on this photo from BugGuide.
Thread Legged Bug
1
¶ Posted 12 November 2011 § ‡ ° Weird Bug in cereal box!
Location: Lynchburg, VA
November 8, 2011 6:32 pm
Just curious what kind of bug this is. It was inside a cereal box that was previously opened but closed back up and the bag of cereal folded down. The pictures were taken by me, Nov 8, 2011. It seemed harmless, but reminded me of a preying mantis in its mannerisms. Strangely aware of its surroundings and moving very slowly.
Signature: R.E.B.
Wheel Bug
Dear R.E.B.,
We contemplated sending you a quick response this morning, but our lead writer decided it was more important to comb his hair and catch the train to work so as not to be late, hence, we waited until the leisurely evening hours to respond. This beautiful predator is a Wheel Bug. You were astute to notice the similarities to a Preying Mantis in the raptorial forelegs of this species of Assassin Bug. We are a bit dumbfounded as to why an adult Wheel Bug would wander into a box of cereal, but we feel it was a random landing. Generally, when people find insects in cereal, they are culprits like Indian Meal Moths, Spider Beetles or Larder Beetles. Wheel Bugs can fly. Do not let their lethargic movements fool you as they belie the quick grab and piercing bite of a formidable predator. The name Wheel Bug refers to the signature cog on the thorax which we believe deters predators from swallowing adult Wheel Bugs. There is a reason we made the Wheel Bug the Bug of the Month for November 2010, and that is because adult Wheel Bugs are a seasonal occurrence.
1
¶ Posted 09 November 2011 § ‡ ° wheel bug, check out em eggs!
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
November 3, 2011 12:07 pm
I saw this bug just hangin out at work with me in pittsburgh layin some eggs. I thought it looked pretty wild and was happy your site identified it. First time I’ve seen this site. Pretty cool…
Signature: McZ
Wheel Bug lays Eggs
Dear McZ,
Thanks for sending us your photo. Should these Wheel Bug Eggs be allowed to remain, they will pass the winter and hatch in the spring into small red and black insects that are often mistaken for spiders.
1
¶ Posted 04 November 2011 § Eggs ‡ ° need bug ID-ed
Location: Columbus, OH
October 26, 2011 10:06 pm
What is this bug??? It moved like a stink bug (I have gotten very familiar with stink/squash bugs this year). I found this on a grave monument in Columbus, OH. Fascinated by its crazy spiked mohawk thing.
Signature: ohiodave
Wheel Bug
Hi ohiodave,
This amazing creature is called a Wheel Bug and your observations about it looking like a stink bug is justifiable since they belong to the same insect order Hemiptera. Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs. In the past two weeks, we have received numerous identification requests for Wheel Bugs from many parts of Eastern North America.
1
¶ Posted 27 October 2011 § ‡ ° 
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