Bugs That Look Like Stink Bugs: Surprising Lookalikes to Watch Out For

Stink bugs are notorious for their unpleasant odor and potential damage to crops, but not all bugs that look like stink bugs are pests. In fact, some insects that resemble stink bugs are actually beneficial predators in the ecosystem. It’s essential to know the differences between them to avoid harming these helpful insects.

One such insect often mistaken for a stink bug is the two-spotted stink bug. This beneficial predator is easily distinguished from other stink bugs by its two spots and distinctive keyhole markings in adults. The two-spotted stink bug is not picky when it comes to their prey and helps to control the populations of harmful insects.

Another insect that may look like a stink bug but is actually helpful to gardeners is the predatory stink bug. These insects attack over 100 species of pest insects, feeding on them and helping to maintain a balanced ecosystem. They can be identified by having a shorter, stouter beak than their pest relatives like the brown marmorated stink bug.

Identifying Stink Bugs and Their Lookalikes

Stink Bugs

Stink bugs belong to the family Pentatomidae, characterized by their shield-like shape and membranous wings that fold flat along their back, often forming an X pattern. They have straw-like, piercing-sucking mouthparts, a small head, and antennae with five segments¹.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is between 14 and 17 mm long, about the size of a U.S. dime. Its features include:

• Shield-shaped body with brown mottling
• Alternating broad light and dark bands on the abdominal edges and last two antennal segments
• Females lay clusters of 20-30 light green or yellow, elliptical-shaped eggs from May through August

Green Stink Bug

The Green Stink Bug, or Acrosternum hilare, has:

• Pure white eggs, laid in clusters of about 20-50²
• Smooth eggshells with numerous micropylar processes (little nubs at the egg’s crown), which distinctly bend at the end
• Early nymph stages with tiny, oval-shaped bodies

Southern Green Stink Bug

Including the Southern Green Stink Bug, or Nezara viridula, in the list of stink bug lookalikes:

• Subtropical species commonly found in the southern United States
• Bright green body, resembling the Green Stink Bug
• Rounded pronotum edges (the area behind the head)

Rice Stink Bug

The Rice Stink Bug, Oebalus pugnax, is recognized by:

• Narrow, elongated body shape
• Light brown to golden brown color
• Predominantly found in rice fields

Red-Shouldered Stink Bug

The Red-Shouldered Stink Bug, Thyanta custator, has these characteristics:

• Oval or shield-shaped body with a reddish-brown color
• Two red spots on the “shoulders” (pronotum)
• Unique “keyhole” markings

Shield Bug

The Shield Bug, often confused with stink bugs, can be differentiated by:

• Less pronotum width³
• Predatory habits towards other insects

Comparison Table

Feature	Brown Marmorated	Green	Southern Green	Rice	Red-Shouldered	Shield
Body Shape	Shield-shaped	Shield-shaped	Shield-shaped	Narrow, elongated	Oval or shield-shaped	Similar to stink bugs
Size (Length)	14-17 mm	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified
Color	Brown mottling	Green	Bright green	Light to golden brown	Reddish-brown	Varies
Pronotum Shape	Not specified	Not specified	Rounded edges	Not specified	Not specified	Narrower
Unique Markings	Bands on antennae	White eggs	Not specified	Not specified	Red spots on shoulders	Keyhole markings

Similar Insects and How to Differentiate

Kissing Bugs

Kissing bugs are often mistaken for stink bugs due to their similar brown color and size. However, they can be differentiated by:

• Kissing bugs have a conical head shape.
• They possess a longer, thinner body than stink bugs.

These bugs can transmit Chagas disease, making it essential to correctly identify them.

Assassin Bugs

Assassin bugs resemble stink bugs, but they:

• Have a more elongated body shape.
• Their front legs are adapted for grabbing prey.

These bugs are considered beneficial since they prey on other insect pests.

Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are smaller and rounder than stink bugs, with:

• A reddish-brown, oval-shaped body.
• No wings, unlike stink bugs.

Bed bugs are notorious for infesting human living spaces and feeding on our blood.

Harlequin Bug

Harlequin bugs have distinct markings and can be differentiated by their:

• Black and bright red or orange pattern.
• Rounded body shape.

These pests feed on leaves and can cause damage to crops like cabbage and kale.

Squash Bug

Squash bugs are a garden pest that can be mistaken for stink bugs. However, they:

• Are typically larger in size.
• Have a dull grayish-brown color.

Squash bugs feed on plants in the cucurbit family, like squash and pumpkins.

Leaf-Footed Bug

Leaf-footed bugs have a somewhat similar appearance to stink bugs but can be recognized by:

• Their leaf-like hind leg extensions.
• A more elongated body shape.

These bugs can cause damage to plants such as tomatoes.

Ladybugs

Although not often confused with stink bugs, ladybugs have a distinct appearance:

• Rounded, bright red or orange body with black spots.
• Much smaller than stink bugs.

Ladybugs are beneficial insects that feed on pests like aphids.

In conclusion, differentiating between stink bugs and their similar-looking counterparts can be accomplished by examining their unique features, such as body shape, color, and size. Recognizing these differences is crucial for effective pest control and maintaining a healthy garden ecosystem.

Biology and Habitat of Stink Bugs and Lookalikes

Feeding Habits

Stink bugs, such as the invasive Halyomorpha halys, have a needle-like proboscis that they use to pierce and suck the fluids from various plants. Some examples of the plants they feed on include:

• Cabbage
• Corn
• Soybeans
• Peaches
• Tomatoes

On the other hand, predatory stink bugs, like Perillus bioculatus are beneficial insects that feed on more than 100 species of insect pests, such as:

• Cockroaches
• Hemiptera
• Invasive insects

The saliva of stink bugs often causes damage to crops and ornamental plants, while the saliva of predatory stink bugs helps control pest populations.

Lifecycle

Stink Bugs	Predatory Stink Bugs
Overwinter as adults	Overwinter as adults
Proliferate in the spring	Proliferate in the spring

Both stink bugs and predatory stink bugs have similar lifecycles, where they overwinter as adults and proliferate during the spring, contributing to the overall stability of their habitats.

Distribution

Stink bugs, specifically the brown marmorated stink bug, is native to Asia and has become an invasive insect in the United States since the mid-1990s. They are known to cause damage to various food crops like broccoli, rice, soybeans, and many more.

Predatory stink bugs have a larger distribution and can be found throughout North America, benefiting gardens by controlling pest populations.

Habitat

Both stink bugs and their predatory lookalikes inhabit similar habitats. They both need to overwinter, which they do by seeking shelter in places like buildings on warm winter days. While they share a preference for shelter during colder months, predatory stink bugs are more commonly found in gardens and farms where their food sources (other insect pests) are abundant.

Impact on Agriculture and Home Gardens

Agricultural Crops Affected

The brown marmorated stink bug is an agricultural pest that affects a wide range of crops. For example:

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Peaches

Originally from Asia, this invasive species has spread throughout the United States, causing significant damage to farmers’ crops. Additionally, it has been reported that in Oregon, the amount of invasive brown marmorated stink bugs in 2022 has reached a new peak, posing a serious threat to fruit and vegetable crops in the area.

Garden Plants Affected

Stink bugs can also be a nuisance in home gardens, feeding on various plants like:

• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Roses

These pests may cause discoloring, wilting, and deformities in affected plants.

Management Strategies

Farmers and gardeners should adopt various strategies to control stink bug populations and minimize their impacts.

Biological control: Researchers are investigating the use of natural predators, such as parasitic wasps, to help control stink bug populations.

Pesticides: In agricultural settings, farmers may rely on insecticides to control stink bug infestations. However, excessive use of pesticides may be harmful to other organisms and the environment.

Traps: Both farmers and home gardeners can utilize pheromone traps, which attract stink bugs and trap them for easy removal.

Physical barriers: Gardeners can use floating row covers to protect their plants from stink bugs. Proper sealing of homes can also prevent stink bugs from becoming a household nuisance.

A comparison table of management strategies:

Management Strategy	Pros	Cons
Biological control	Environmentally friendly, targets specific pests	Limited availability, may take time
Pesticides	Effective control of large infestations	Harmful to other organisms, environmental concerns
Traps	Target specific pests, non-toxic alternatives	May not be as effective
Physical barriers	Prevents access by pests, helps with other insects	Requires proper installation, labor-intensive

By employing these strategies, farmers and gardeners can limit the damages caused by stink bugs and protect their crops and plants.

Preventing Infestation in Homes

Sealing Entry Points

One of the best ways to prevent infestations in homes is by sealing entry points. Bugs that look like stink bugs, such as the soldier bug, can enter through tiny gaps in walls, doors, windows, and chimneys. Here are some steps you can take to seal your home:

• Walls: Inspect your home’s exterior for cracks and gaps, and seal them with caulking or weatherstripping
• Doors and windows: Install tight-fitting screens and door sweeps to prevent bugs from sneaking in
• Chimney: Use a chimney cap to keep insects out while allowing smoke to escape

Removing Food Sources

Eliminating food sources is another important step in preventing infestations. Stink bugs and their look-alikes, such as immature soldier bugs with light green bodies and red eyes, typically feed on plants, leaf litter, and aphids. To minimize the availability of food for these insects:

• Keep your yard free from decaying plant material
• Trim trees and bushes away from your house
• Control aphid populations in your garden

Using Pheromone Traps

Using pheromone traps is an effective and non-toxic method to catch stink bugs and similar insects. These traps release pheromones that attract the pests, causing them to congregate and become trapped. You can place these traps both inside and outside your home, including in your chicken coop, to reduce the likelihood of an infestation.

Here is a comparison table between three methods to prevent infestations in homes:

Method	Pros	Cons
Sealing entry points	Limits access for insects	Time-consuming, may require maintenance
Removing food sources	Reduces pests’ food supply	Can require regular yard work and garden care
Using pheromone traps	Non-toxic, effective	May require frequent trap replacement, could attract more bugs initially

By following these prevention techniques, you can help protect your home from a bug infestation. Remember to identify and address potential entry points, eliminate food sources, and consider using pheromone traps to help keep your home bug-free.

When to Seek Professional Help

Signs of Severe Infestation

• Contaminated items: If you find food or living spaces with evidence of bug droppings or damage, this could indicate a severe infestation.
• Large numbers: Encountering significant numbers of bugs resembling stink bugs, like ticks, silverfish, or harlequin cabbage bugs, might warrant professional help.
• Eating habits: Unusual damage to plants, including cabbage leaves with numerous holes, could signal a harlequin cabbage bug problem.

Knowing when to call a pest control professional is essential since handling severe infestations on your own without proper knowledge may not yield successful results.

Choosing a Pest Control Professional

Pros	Cons
Expert knowledge	Cost
Effective treatment	Possible use of chemicals
Long-term solutions	Scheduling appointments

Make sure to:

1. Read reviews of local pest control professionals to ensure you choose a reputable service provider.
2. Compare prices between different companies so that you find the best deal.
3. Ask about their methodology and whether they use eco-friendly methods, especially if you have concerns about chemicals.

Examples of bugs that resemble stink bugs include silverfish, ticks, and harlequin cabbage bugs. Dealing with these pests successfully involves understanding their habits, identifying the severity of the infestation, and seeking professional help when necessary.

Footnotes

1. https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/stink-bugs ↩

2. https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/30842/Field%20Guide%20to%20Stink%20Bugs.pdf ↩

3. https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/biological-control-information-center/beneficial-predators/two-spotted-stink-bug/ ↩

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Letter 1 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings, we believe

 

6 legged orange butt black leggs
Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Hi, My name is Sonya and I noticed these bugs on my October Maple tree about 2-3 weeks ago. I live in the Charleston South Carolina area. There is a grouping of these small 6 black legged bugs with orange butts. They tend to stay grouped together but you can find smaller groups of 2-3 in other areas of the tree. I also noted today that there was 2 larger ones that were different colors, mostly orange and some yellow with little to no black on them, they appeared to be mating with some smaller bugs with no orange on them, just black and smaller butts. When I went out with the camera a couple of hours later, after finding this site, I couldn’t find the different ones. Also since I’ve first noted the bugs their butts have changed slightly and now appear to have small black dots in the center of the rear. They also have a small nest of sorts that is dripping stuff down the tree.

I hope this is descriptive enough. Thank you very much for your help. I’ve lived in SC my whole life and don’t recall ever seeing these bugs before.
Sonya in SC
South East

Hi Sonya,
These are newly hatched Hemipterans, or True Bugs.  It is often very difficult to properly identify hatchlings, but we believe these are Wheel Bugs a type of Assassin Bug.  Wheel Bugs, Arilus cristatus, are predators.  The nest you noticed are the eggs laid in a distinctive cluster by the female Wheel Bug.  The hatchlings stay together for a very short time and then they go rogue to hunt alone.  You can compare your specimens to this photo on BugGuide.  The one thing that would make us suspect these may be some other Hemipteran is that in one of your photos, the hatchlings appear to be feeding off of tree sap.  We are uncertain if perhaps immature Wheel Bugs may be attracted to certain plant juices.

Letter 2 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Assassin bug?
Hi, I live in Gaithersburg, Maryland and I’ve been seeing these bugs on my deck over the last month or so. I’m curious to find out about the because I keep finding them on my children. I want to know if they bite and what kind of bite they will get (swelling like a mosquito bite?). I saw a picture on this site that was similar. It was identified as a Wheel Bug Nymph, but all the pictures that I see elsewhere on the internet of the wheel bug, look very different. Could these be VERY immature wheel bugs? Whatever info you could give would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
This is most assuredly an immature Assassin Bug, most probably a Wheel Bug. The wingless nymphs have a distinctive red abdomen, and it is not until they mature into winged adults that the characteristic cog-like wheel attains its magnificence. The scientific name for the Wheel Bug is Arilus cristatus. All we know about the bite is that it is reputed to be painful, but not dangerous.

Letter 3 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

What’s this bug?
Location: Northwestern Ohio
July 11, 2011 12:06 am
Dear Bugman,
I found this bug in the late afternoon as it walked on the leaves of a large flowering bush. It’s about 5/8” long from the front of it’s head to the end of its abdomen and has a light blue/gray short-cropped fuzz covering most of it’s body.
If you have any questions you are welcome to ask me!
I took the included images myself an you have my permission to use and/or edit them and this note as you see fit.
I thank you in advance for satisfying my curiosity about this friendly little guy.
Signature: Curtis in Ohio

I write you earlier… I just figured it out!
Location: Northwestern Ohio
July 11, 2011 1:00 am
Dear Bugman,
Upon further exploration of your amazing website, I Believe that I have correctly identified the bug in question as a wheel bug nymph. They don’t look much like their grown-up selves, do they? I’ve been able to identify mature wheel bugs since I was a kid. Thanks for teaching me something today! Keep up the good work!
Although you now needn’t publish my inquiry on your forum, you’re still welcome to use the images I’ve included if you like.
Signature: Curtis in Ohio

Hi Curtis,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, one of the predatory Assassin Bugs.  You might want to exercise caution with your finger.  You do not want the Wheel Bug to mistake your finger for a fat caterpillar.  Wheel Bugs have a beak-like mouth that is used for piercing prey and sucking out fluids.  Wheel Bugs are not aggressive, but they can and will bite if accidentally encountered, or carelessly handled.

Letter 4 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Unknown egg cases – help Bugman
February 21, 2010
My daughter and I discovered this array of egg cases on the underside of a branch today, February 21st. The entire array measures maybe 3/4 x 3/4 inch. They are stuck to the branch by a mass of black goo.
Curious in NC
Central North Carolina

Dear Curious,
These are the eggs of a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators that will help control the population of many plant eating insects in your garden.  BugGuide has an image of the hatching eggs for an idea what the hatchlings will look like.

Thanks so much for the quick reply. We are overrun with wheel bugs here and know them well but never knew what the eggs looked like. My daughter is watching them daily in hopes of catching them hatching.
We really enjoy the site, thanks for taking the time.
Regards,
Bill

Letter 5 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What type of insect are these?
May 29, 2009
What type of insect are these?
I was trimming bushes and noticed what appeared to be a small nest (for lack of a better word) on the side of a service berry tree. A couple days later the bugs hatched and were grouped around the nest. I’ve not been able to identify these. What are they?
George in Central Ohio
Central Ohio

Hi George,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs, a species of Assassin Bug.  Most Assassin Bugs, including Wheel Bugs, are beneficial predators.

Letter 6 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings exterminated after hatching indoors

 

bugs hatching
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
January 26, 2011 7:24 pm
Just the other day my roommates and I were in the living room when we noticed a dark spot up my our fireplace. When I climbed up to investigate, I noticed it wasn’t just one bug but a whole bunch of small ones hatching. The area there were in was roughly the size of a adult female palm. They were found in January in Oklahoma. They were about a foot from the celing on the brick around our fireplace in the living room. We caught one in a peice of tape and took it to the home depot and though they couldn’t id the type, they gave us some Raid which killed them. We had a huge problem with black widows in the fall and I’m worried they might be babies that are just hatching. Any ideas? Do we need to have someone come spray for them?
Signature: Amanda

Hi Amamda,
This is a cluster of Wheel Bug hatchlings, a beneficial predator.  It is odd that the egg cluster was laid indoors, but the fact that they were found near a fireplace brings up a possibility.  Perhaps a female Wheel Bug was prowling through the wood pile outdoors looking for a Black Widow Spider to prey upon when the log was taken indoors.  Adult Wheel Bugs are dark gray and they would blend in with the color of the log.  Left with no other alternatives, the Wheel Bug laid her eggs on the ceiling of the living room.  Because of the heat indoors, the eggs hatched early.  Hatchling Wheel Bugs do look somewhat spiderlike and they do have red and black coloration like Black Widows, so your mistake is understandable.  Hatching indoors did not leave them very good odds of survival even without the insecticide, but we are going to tag this posting as Unnecessary Carnage nonetheless because as we stated originally, Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators.

A reader Comments:
RE: hatchling wheel bugs
January 27, 2011 10:07 am
Hello BugMan,
I am writing to you today to convey a message to your readership. I was very dismayed to see all of the wheel bug hatchlings that met a very early demise. This was a very unfortunate event with these awesome wheel bugs, and even though in your response you say Amanda’s mistaking them for Black Widow babies is understandable because of the similar colors and them being ”spiderlike”, I noticed clearly in Amanda’s picture that the bugs have antenna. So that is my message for your readers: if you see something that has antenna, it’s not a spider, as spiders don’t have antenna. Sincerely, Amy
Signature: Amy

Thank you for the response and I inderstand the Unnecessary Carnage tagging though I think you understand my fear they were baby black widows. I would like to point out as well that our fire place is gas and has been sealed up by the homeowners as they do not want renters “setting the house on fire” 🙂 We assumed they climbed in through the fireplace. The next time we find them we will be sure to relocated them back outside where they belong (which I do with most of the insects that find their way in my house with the exception of the black widow.) Can you answer a question of whether or not they bite? I have read several things online that differ. Thank you!
Amanda

Hi again Amanda,
Wheel Bugs can bite, but they do not typically bite humans.  Careless handling might result in a bite.  Certain other Assassin Bugs are more prone to biting, and some species, like Kissing Bugs actually feed on warm blooded hosts, including humans.

Letter 7 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Exotic looking insect
Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I saw these in my backyard and have no idea what they are. I am sending this pic because describing them would not give a clear picture as to what they are.
Eric
Pennsylvania

Hello Eric,
We just posted a letter and photo of a Wheel Bug nymph, and we mentioned that we often get sightings of Wheel Bug hatchlings in the spring.  Hours later, your photo of Wheel Bug hatchlings arrived.  Wheel Bugs are a species of Assassin Bugs and they are beneficial predators in the yard, but they can bite if provoked.  Hatchling Wheel Bugs are often described as antlike or spiderlike, and they look very different from the winged adult with the coglike structure of the thorax which resembles a wheel.

Letter 8 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Crazy bugs
Location: Spring, TX
March 7, 2011 12:52 pm
What are these? Help!
Signature: Mary

Hi Mary,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs.  They are beneficial predators.

Thanks!  Someone said they eat caterpillars.  We raise butterflies.  I’m not sure I’ll view them as beneficial. : )

Letter 9 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Mating Wheel Bugs
I got some great pictures this morning of mating Wheel Bugs, although I’ve never seen an orange one before. Do they change their color for "mating season"? Or is this just a different type of Wheel Bug than the usual black Wheel Bug that I always see around here?: I will also attach the pictures in case you have trouble seeing them in this e-mail. Thanks!
Laura Frazier

Hi Laura,
The orange Wheel Bug in your photo is newly metamorphosed and has not darkened to its normal adult coloration yet. Its “partner” is really the discarded exoskeleton. Thanks for sending in your photo of Wheel Bug metamorphosis. It is rare that we get 11 views at almost 1M per image to choose from. To be honest, we just opened three and chose the best, knowing full well there might have been a gem we missed.

Letter 10 – Wheel Bug: Lays eggs in fall. Eggs hatch in spring

 

What’s this bug?
Location: Cincinnati, OH
May 13, 2011 3:11 pm
Back on October 24th, we came home and saw this bug laying eggs right by our front door. This week, the eggs hatched. I’m attaching pictures of both.
Signature: maddenmama

Dear maddenmama,
We are really impressed that you left this unknown egg mass to hatch.  These are beneficial Wheel Bug hatchlings.  Wheel Bugs are important predators that will help keep your garden free of many insects that are injurious to plants.  The hatchlings will soon disperse.  They will also lose their red coloration.  The image you provided of the female Wheel Bug depositing her eggs shows the coglike structure on the thorax which is the inspiration for the common name Wheel Bug.  They have been referred to as the Stegosaurus Bug by several of our readers.  Wheel Bugs are the largest Assassin Bugs in North America.  They are not aggressive toward humans or pets, but if they are carelessly handled, they might bite.  The bite is painful, but harmless.

Letter 11 – Horehound Bugs from Australia

 

Subject: Bug identification
Location: Townsville, QLD, Australia
September 14, 2016 12:20 am
Hi, after two days of morning rain my Thai basil plants were covered with these bugs. I’ve tried google images but can’t find bugs with the same pattern. Could you please identify these for me? Thank you
Signature: Mariah

Dear Mariah,
We quickly identified your beautiful Stink Bugs as Horehound Bugs, Agonoscelis rutila, thanks to the Alamy site, and we verified that identification on the Brisbane Insect site where it states:  “They are called Horehound bugs because they are usually found on the weed horehound Marrubium vulgare. Sometimes it swarms on foliage and blossoms of fruit trees and ornamental plants but normally causes little injury. “

Letter 12 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

bug eggs?
Ok, any idea what these things could be? My boyfriend located them on a tree in his back yard and I am very curious.
thanks,
taryn

Hi Taryn,
Your boyfriend discovered a cluster of Wheel Bug Eggs, Arilus cristatus. This species of Assassin Bug is beneficial in the garden as it preys on many destructive pests.

Letter 13 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Bug Query with Pictures
Hi!
I was browsing through your site, with great enjoyment, after we found some 30 to 50 of a particular bug on one of our flower plants. Unfortunately, the site is too large for me to do an exhaustive search (although I did look through all 10 beetle pages and a few others). The closest match seemed to be a ladybird pupa, but the picture wasn’t clear enough for me to be certain, and the markings were different (which would be no surprise, given the variation among ladybird beetles). They do seem rather larger than the ladybird beetles we’re used to seeing. We’re in the middle of a city, western Los Angeles, California (90210). In any case, we’d like to find out what these are. They’re black with orange markings, 8-10 cm long, half that in width, fairly flat, with three rows of orange spots on the underside (middle row shorter). One of the pictures shows them at the base of a rose, which was a typical place to find a group of 3 to 8. The other two show two on a poppy stalk, which was more exposed than most of them. It was still cool in the morning, and most were quite inactive; one of them on a rose stem continually wandered around to the far side of the stem while I tried to photograph. No observation of them flying or of wings, although I did see one twitch the triangular patch on its back. All pictures were taken with a flash, and so the edges and highlights are more pronounced than they appeared to the eye. Thanks,
Leif
P.S. Please feel free to make use of the pictures I took in any way you wish.

Hi Leif,
These are not beetles, but true bugs or Hemipterans. More specifically, they are Harlequin Stink Bugs. We generally see them from other parts of the country more pronounced orange markings, but an image on BugGuide from Los Angeles, is a very close match to your image.

Letter 14 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Subject: Friend or foe?
Location: Southeastern Virginia
October 21, 2013 5:04 pm
I can’t tell if this bug does damage to my plants or to other pests or neither. I do seem to find them on plants that have damage especially cole crops and squash. The one in the picture was moved from the garden to the front of the shed so I could get a good photo.
Signature: Thanks! Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,
You probably want to consider the Harlequin Stink Bug as a foe.  The Harlequin Stink Bug uses its piercing and sucking mouthparts to take fluids from plants in the cabbage family, including kale.  If they are numerous, they may cause significant damage.

Letter 15 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Subject: What is this colorful bug/insect?
Location: Laurel, MD
November 22, 2015 4:54 am
I was about to open this organics baby spring mix greens, triple washed, sealed in plastic bin, when I noticed this bug (beetle, perhaps?) in the container. I would love to know what this bug is and likely that it is not dangerous or anything, since I know nothing about insects really, but do find them interesting. The bin does say, product of USA.
The bug crawls slowly, like a beetle crawls.
Thank you for any help with this identification.
Signature: Suzanne Arnold

Dear Suzanne,
This is a Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, and though it is a variable species with regard to markings, the orange, black and white coloration is quite distinctive.  Here is an image from BugGuide.  Finding it among organic greens makes perfect sense because according to BugGuide:  “hosts: primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.”

Dear Daniel – Thank you so much!  I still have him/her, so will release him/her to the outside.  I will go look that Bug Guide up as well.   I am so appreciative of your help; I have been looking, but had not come across this particular bug, and there are so many, many quite beautiful types, species, out there; it is just amazing.  Thanks again.

Letter 16 – Harlequin Stink Bug in Mount Washington

 

July 26, 2009
While photographing the Bagrada hilaris mating on our kale, we noticed this Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, on our collard greens.  They look quite similar in terms of color and markings, but the Bagrada is much smaller.

We went back out with the camera, placed two specimens in the freezer to slow them down, and took the following size comparison photo between Bagrada and Murgantia.

Letter 17 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Is this a variety of ladybug?
Location: San Jose East foothills
May 5, 2013 2:39 pm
I found a bunch of these as I was clearing out some alyssum and weeds next to my clemetis. It is small (about 1/8-1/4” max) looks kinda like a lady bug in shape but different markings and I wanted to know if it was beneficial or not. This was taken May 5th
Thanks!
Signature: Denise

Dear Denise,
This is the nymph of a Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, a species that feeds on fluids of plants mainly in the cabbage family.  You can compare your image to this photo on BugGuide.

Thank You for such a quick reply – and on a Sunday too!
Your site is great!

Letter 18 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymph

 

Subject: harlequin nymph?
Location: Fountain Valley CA
May 16, 2014 1:22 pm
I first thought these were beetles, but now I suspect they are harlequin bug nymphs. Any help with ID? These were photographed at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley CA this morning 5/16/2014. Thanks
Signature: Woodworker

Dear Woodworker,
You are correct that this is a Harlequin Bug nymph, Murgantia histrionica.

Letter 19 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymphs

 

Subject: unknown Beetle
Location: San Diego, CA
July 17, 2014 5:37 pm
I found these beetles at the Cabrillo Museum in sand Diego this weekend. Any idea what they are? I’ve searched the internet, and was unable to find a picture of them. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Signature: Debbi Haag

Hi Debbi,
These pretty critters are not beetles, but rather, they are True Bugs in the suborder Heteroptera.  More specifically, they are immature Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica.  Adults have a similar coloration, and they have fully functional wings.  Harlequin Stink Bugs feed on plants in the cabbage family, so they are generally not welcome in the vegetable patch, and locally in California, they are often found feeding on wild mustard which has been introduced and has naturalized in many open spaces in the southland.  For more information on the Harlequin Stink Bug, you can try BugGuide.

One of your images depicts an adult with two nymphs.

Letter 20 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject: It’s cute and it flies
Location: San Antonio, TX
July 16, 2013 1:33 pm
Dear Bugman,
I think this little critter is new to our garden. They started out living on my broccoli earlier this year. When it was time to remove those plants, they moved to the radish patch that was in front of the broccoli. They don’t seem to be disturbing the plants but they do like to fly around and crawl on me and my 3 year old son. He loves it and thinks of them as his bug friends. So, I want to make sure we are safe around them. Future thanks for any information you might be able to provide!
Signature: Katie

Dear Katie,
These Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica, will not harm your son, however, they are a plant feeding species and they are not healthy for plants in the cabbage family, including broccoli.

Letter 21 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject: Murgantia histrionica – Harlequin Bug in Pennsylvania
Location: Mastersonville PA, North Chiques Road
September 8, 2013 3:43 pm
Hi Bugman
I have been an insect enthusiast since childhood and this is the first time I’ve seen harlequin bugs in our area (Lancaster PA). I read on bug guide.net that Pennsylvania is the northern part of their range.
There were around 50 individuals, nymphs and adults, on a cocklebur plant at my garden near Mastersonville, PA. Thought you could use some more photos of them since I only found once incidence of these insects on your site.
Melody McFarland
Lancaster, PA
Signature: Melody

Hi Melody,
Thank you so much for sending us your photos of Harlequin Stink Bugs.  We are especially intrigued that you found them feeding on cocklebur.  According to the UC Davis Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium, is in the sunflower family Asteraceae, and we have always associated the Harlequin Stink Bug with plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.  According to BugGuide, Harlequin Stink Bugs feed on:  “primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.”  Searching our site with the internal search engine and the scientific name Murgantia histrionica, we found over ten postings buried in our archives.

Letter 22 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject:  Pretty Bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Bolsa Chica Reserve, Huntington Beach, CA
Date: 05/22/2018
Time: 02:06 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We saw many of these colorful bugs on a bladder pod plant. What are they?
How you want your letter signed:  Espressive

These colorful Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica, are commonly found feeding on plants in the cabbage family, so you finding them on bladderpod piqued our curiosity.  According to BugGuide:  “hosts: primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.“

Letter 23 – Hatchling Stink Bug from Brazil

 

Subject:  need help identifying a cute bug my friend found
Geographic location of the bug:  sao paulo brazil
Date: 01/19/2018
Time: 05:18 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  hi my friend sent me this bug he thought was really pretty and i wanted to help identify it for him but i couldnt for the life of me figure out what the lil guy was!!!
my friend said it didnt jump or fly at all. it just crawled around
and if i had to guess it could be like a nymph of something maybe???
(these are my friends images)
How you want your letter signed:  charlie

Dear Charlie,
This little guy is a hatchling Heteropteran or True Bug, and we are pretty certain it is a hatchling Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae.  It might not be possible to provide a species as nymphs can be difficult to identify with certainty.

THANKS SO MUCH
Me n him were goin crazy trying 2 figure it out haha!!! We thought it might have been a stink bug but we werent sure because we only came across brown stinkbug nymphs in our search i think, none that looked like this.
Its nice 2 know definitely thats what it was!!! Thanks a big bunch

Letter 24 – how to get rid of stink bugs???

 

Hi Bugman!
My name is Cynthia I live just outside of Stuttgart, Germany. September 2003 we moved into a new apartment. After a few weeks, the outside windows were covered by dozens of ‘stink bugs’. They look like the ones I remember from my childhood growing up in Charlotte, NC. I’ve attached a photo. They did everything they could to get into the apartment and we tried everything to keep them out. The last tenant said he never saw such bugs during his two years living here. During the Winter months, we did not see any of the bugs. This first week in Feb. has been quite warm and now every morning I have to remove 2-5 bugs from the apartment. The ‘What’s That Bug’ site says these bugs are plant eaters, but I have not found any on my house plants. This house does have lots of wood paneling. Could that be attracting them? Any suggestions on how to keep them out? They are a real pest and really make my skin crawl!
Thanks for any suggestions you can give!
Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,
You do have a Stink Bug, Family Pentatomidae. They can be recognized by the shieldlike shape and the large triangular scutullum, the posterior portion of the thorax. They are plant eaters, for the most part, though some prey on other insects. The mouthparts are designed for piercing and sucking, so you won’t notice any chewed leaves. If the winter weather is warming, they could have roused themselves from hibernation and are seeking a new place to finish wintering over, hence their attraction to your house. They are seeking shelter, not food, so it is difficult to keep them out without making your house inhospitable. Sorry, I have no control advice.

Letter 25 – Immature Conchuela Stink Bug

 

Subject:  Round black beetle with white margin and 6 white spots on rear of abdomen
Geographic location of the bug:  Reno NV foothills 6000’ elevation
Date: 08/01/2019
Time: 02:00 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  These smallish round beatles have surprised us by coming into the house by the dozens.  Never saw them before. They are in scattered locations, mostly on the floor, and I don’t move much, but can move slowly or rather quickly if disturbed. I can’t figure out what they want or what they eat. Several are on the doorstep, anxious to come in if the door is opened.
They are round black beetles with white margin and 6 white spots on rear of abdomen.
How you want your letter signed:  Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,
This is not a Beetle.  It is an immature Stink Bug, and based on this BugGuide image, it is in the genus Chlorochroa, probably the Conchuela Stink Bug.  According to BugGuide:  “prefers fleshy fruits of various plants, especially agarita, balsam-gourd and mesquite; also on sage, yucca, mustards, prickly pear (Opuntia), and various crops (cotton, alfalfa, corn, sorghum, grapes, peas, tomatoes, etc.); primarily a seed feeder preferring leguminous plants (once mesquite beans dry, the bugs move to more succulent plants). “

Letter 26 – Hatchling Predatory Shield Bugs from Australia

 

hatching shield bugs
May 6, 2010
Hi guys,
Hope the Mothers Day trip was great, you certainly deserve the time off. Hope also that you like this shot of hatching Predatory (also called Glossy) Shield Bugs. The fluoro ones will quickly harden off to match their slightly older siblings and go onto to fulfill their role of predator on caterpillars and the like. They are considered an important predator of agricultural pests.
Aussietrev
Queensland, Australia

Hi Trevor,
Thanks for sending the great photo of hatchling Predatory Shield Bugs.  Can you provide a species name?

Hi Daniel,
They are Cermatulus nasalis
regards,
Trevor

Thanks Trevor,
Nymphs can be very difficult to identify properly.

Letter 27 – Hairy Shieldbug from Wales

 

Subject: Pink Bug
Location: Presteigne, Powys
June 4, 2016 9:58 am
I live in the border country of Herefordshire/Shropshire/Wales. Near Presteigne, Powys. Rather high on a hill. This bug appeared on a stand of mint in a bed near the front of my house, south facing. This photo was taken today (4th June 2016). The weather was warm and overcast, no wind. The bug has a pink back with a metallic gold marking. An alternating pattern of black and white on either side, like a decorative trim.
Signature: Christine

Dear Christine,
Thanks to the British Bugs site, we were able to identify your Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum.  According to the site:  “A large and distinctive purple-brown and greenish shieldbug which is covered with long hairs. The antennae and connexivum are banded black and white. During the winter, the ground colour becomes uniformly dull brown.”  It is also called a Sloe Bug according to NatureSpot where it states:  “This bug overwinters as an adult, emerging in the spring. Larvae, which are also hairy, may be found on numerous plants besides Blackthorn, particularly those in the Roasaceae family. The new generation is complete from August onwards.”  According to Garden Safari:  “Of all the stink bugs this one is the worst. It really loves berries, especially Honeysuckle and Raspberries. It walks all over them, leaving behind an awful stinking substance. This makes all berries it walked over inedible. Like in other Stink Bugs the substance is made for protection. A bird or other enemy will eat only one bug in its entire live. Afterwards it will always remember the dreadful taste and will never touch another bug again.”

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your speedy reply. In spite of its beguiling pink and gold colours, it seems my bug is quite a nasty creature!
I am most grateful to you for taking the time to answer my question. Best wishes to you for your interesting website!
Christine
Herefordshire

Letter 28 – Hawthorn Shield Bug

 

Hawthorn Shield Bug (Stinkbug) from England
Thought you might like my pictures of a Hawthorn Shield Bug (or is it a Birch Shield Bug?) taken in my garden near Liverpool, England. I see from your pages they are called stinkbugs in the US, although this one didn’t stink, even when my curious eight year old dropped it (oops).
Sharron

Hi Sharron,
We also call the bugs in the family Pentatomidae Shield Bugs, but Stink Bugs is a more commonly used common name. We don’t recognize your species, but we are thrilled to have it as an example.

Letter 29 – Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph from India

 

Subject: Silver beetle with gold spots
Location: New bombay, Maharashtra, Western ghats
December 21, 2013 10:31 pm
Hey found this one at my workplace just around the time monsoon was setting in.
Signature: Best wishes

This is not a beetle, but rather an immature True Bug in the suborder Heteroptera, possibly a Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae.  Nymphs can often be very difficult to identify to the species level even when the adult is easily recognizable.

Update:  Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph
Thanks to a comment by the submitter who was able to continue research based on our response, we now know that this is a Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph, Erthesina fullo, and we located a photo on website dedicated to Hong Kong insects.

Letter 30 – Wheel Bug feasting on Io Moth Caterpillar

 

wheelbug’s big appetite
I found this guy enjoying a meal. I know you have a great collection of pictures, but I thought you might enjoy this one. Thank You for a helpful site,
Dustin

Hi Dustin,
What a wonderful Food Chain image of a Wheel Bug sucking the fluids from an Io Moth Caterpillar. Thanks for sending it our way.

Letter 31 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

black and orange bug
In the summer I saw a few of these bugs in the field, but I have not been able to find them in any of the fuild guides that I have. Can you tell me what it is?? Picture attached. Thanks so much.
Clotilde

Hi Clotilde,
Rarely do field guides show immature insects. This is a Wheel Bug Nymph. Adults have a distinctive coglike structure on the thorax.

Letter 32 – Wheel Bug deploys scent gland

 

Wheel Bug Ovipositing
I recently (12/09/06) came across this wheel bug ovipositing in the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and wanted to share the images. I found the bug’s ovipositor(s) very interesting. Great site,
Anthony

Hi Anthony,
We have gotten many images of the distinctive Wheel Bug egg clusters, but this is the first for us. Thanks for sending your wonderful photo to us. Eric Eaton later clarified as to what was happening in this image: ” I just noticed that this wheel bug is NOT laying an egg, but deploying a scarlet scent gland in self-defense. Don’t know what triggers this behavior, but I did find a wheelbug in a spider web once that had spilled a great amount of bright orange goo like this. Eric “

Letter 33 – Wheel Bug Lays Eggs, Eggs Hatch

 

Wheel bug mom
Thought you might enjoy this wheel bug that nested near my shop last spring.
Keith

Hi Keith,
This is the first photo we have ever gotten of the adult female Wheel Bug with her eggs.

Letter 34 – Wheel Bug in a Pot

 

What is this Bug
My 8 year old found this on the back porch and was wondering what kind of bug it is. Note the spiny appendage on his back that I thought would make it easy to identify, but haven’t been able to find anything in the reference materials so far.
Ben
Eastern Missouri

Hi Ben,
If that is the 5 quart pasta pot, that has to be the biggest Wheel Bug on record. Handle with care as Wheel Bugs can deliver a painful bite. Seriously, what kind of pot is that in your photo, which we find terribly amusing, and perhaps our favorite Wheel Bug photo ever.

Thanks very much for the information.  Didn’t know they bite, so glad we asked.  No, it’s certainly not a 5 quart pasta pot.  Actually, the photo was very close-up and the “pot” is actually a doll-sized toy (probably 12 – 16 oz).  I would estimate the bug was 2.5″ to 3″ in length.  Thanks again,
DLM

Letter 35 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Big red Bug.
August 8, 2009
Can you tell me what this is?
Patrick Robinson
Statesville, NC

Hi Patrick
Your newly metamorphosed Wheel Bug will turn black or dark gray when its exoskeleton hardens. The colors of your photograph are quite striking.

Letter 36 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Spider like ants with orange abdomens
April 27, 2010
Hi, Im sorry if this email was sent twice, I’m not sure if the first sent, my pc is acting up. Anyway, I took these pics in April of 2010, these ants were found on a small willow tree in my yard. They have been more or less in the same spot, around a honey comb looking structure on the tree for several days. At first I thought they were spiders, untill I noticed only 6 legs instead of 8.
Chris M
North East Texas, west of Fort Worth

Hi Chris,
Each spring we get numerous images of Wheel Bug hatchlings, but your photos might be the best ever.  The Wheel Bug is North America’s largest Assassin Bug.

Daniel Marlos,
Thank you very much, not only for sharing your information and replying so quickly, but also for your complement on my photos. I actually took those pics on a cheap 80-90 dollar digital camera.
I take many pictures of insects that I have never seen before now that I live in Texas. And now that I found your site, I’m sure I’ll be sending more.
Thank you once again.
Chris M

Hi again Chris,
We often tell our photography students, that though it is great to have wonderful equipment and state of the art technology, it is far more important to be a talented and aware photographer.  We look forward to getting future submissions, but keep post-production manipulation to a minimum.

Letter 37 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What is it?
May 2, 2010
I saw it under some leaves. not sure what it is.
Doesnt Matter
South Carolina

Dear Doesnt Matter,
These are Wheel Bug Hatchlings and Eggs.  Wheel Bugs are North America’s largest Assassin Bugs and they are beneficial predators.  This is the first letter we are setting to post during our trip to Ohio to visit Mom for Mother’s Day.  This will be the first Mother’s Day in 31 years that we have spent with Mom, and we are very excited.

Letter 38 – Wheel Bug Fanmail

 

So much help!!
Location:  Central Ohio
October 13, 2010 6:42 am
Hey guys! I’ve been a fan of your website for some time now, I even look at it on a fairly regular basis with my two-year-old. He loves seeing and learning the names of new bugs. 🙂
I just had to say that, had it not been because I look at your site so often, I wouldn’t have been able to teach my nephew about a bug my mom found for him. My brother-in-law was convinced it was a rhino beetle (in Ohio?!?), but as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was.
My mom had found a wheel bug crawling up her pants leg! My nephew was curious about it and wanted to take it in to school, but since no one knew what it was, they wanted to find info on it first. I pulled up your website and sent a link to my brother-in-law, so he could find more info in he wanted and let my nephew take it to school with him.
The only picture I got of the little guy was on my cell phone, so I apologize for the bad quality.
So, I wanted to say, thank you all for the effort you put in to keeping the website up, and keeping everyone informed about bugs of the world.
Signature:  Thankful Fan

Dear Thankful Fan,
We are relieved that you had already identified your Wheel Bug as it might have been a difficult identification for us since the image is so blurry.  Your letter really cheered us up this morning, and we are happy to tag it as fanmail.

Letter 39 – Wheel Bug: Dead after the storm

 

Wheel bug casualty of midwestern storm- detailed pic
Location: Southwestern Ohio
October 27, 2010 7:10 pm
I found this wheel bug (?) quite dead in some leaf debris on my parents’ deck. From what I’ve heard, this was a smallish one. I thought this photo showed the distinctive wheel and the proboscis pretty well.
Signature: Kitsa

Hi Kitsa,
Thank you for sending this photo of a Wheel Bug that did not survive the storm.  We have already decided that we are receiving so many Wheel Bug identification requests this month that we are making it the Bug of the Month for November even though it held the exact same honor in November of 2008.

Letter 40 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Freaky Bug found in our Dorm Room
Location: Sarasota, FL
April 14, 2011 12:06 am
Hello,
We are three girls from Sarasota, Florida and we found this hideous bug in our dorm room! We were wondering if you could identify it for us as we want to know if this bug is dangerous and whether or not we need to ask our school to call pest control!
Signature: 3 Girls from Ringling

Dear 3 Girls from Ringling,
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and we just posted a letter from Schoolyard Mom who describe this insect as a Beautiful Mystery.  This is an immature Wheel Bug, and though we rarely get reports of people being bitten by Wheel Bugs, your photo nicely illustrates the piercing and sucking mouthparts.  Wheel Bugs are predators, and if left in your dorm, it will most likely feed upon any cockroaches that are cohabitating with you.  There is no need to call pest control.  Wheel Bugs are outdoor insects that may wander indoors, though that would not be their chosen hunting grounds.

Letter 41 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Unknown evil looking bug
Location: Jacksonville, FL
April 14, 2011 8:18 pm
Hello Bugman,
I found this nasty buggy on my car today and would really like to know what he is. Or was, rather. I drove to the store with him on my car, figuring he’d get swept off on the ride, but the little bugger help on like a champ, only to be thwarted when I opened the back hatch. He may still be alive, only separated from his possible family that might possibly live in my yard. I just moved to Jax, Fl from Denver and would love to know if my life is now going to be filled with these types of encounters every day. *gulp*
Thank you so very much for your time,
Amy
Signature: Amy

Hi Amy,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph, a beneficial predator, and it is the third identification request we are posting from Florida this morning.  Previous inquiries describe the Wheel Bug nymph as beautiful and hideous, and you believe it to be evil looking.  Your Wheel Bug nymph is younger than the other two individuals.  The red color of this early instar nymph will soon vanish.  Very young Wheel Bugs are often mistaken for spiders, and hatchlings tend to stay together at first, separating shortly after hatching.  Wheel Bugs are capable of biting, though we do not receive many reports of people being bitten by them.  You have moved to Florida, and we expect you will be encountering many unusual insects.  We hope you will use our website to distinguish the beneficial species from the problematic species.

Letter 42 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What is this!
Location: Coastal Plains area of North Carolina
May 9, 2011 10:26 am
I was in Wallace North Carolina when I saw these little things all over the tree in my aunts front yard. I’ve never seen this kind of bug before. I snapped a few pictures of it. They live in a colony like ants, and they seem to be carnivorous.
Signature: Darrick Williams

Dear Darrick,
This is a relatively newly hatched brood of Wheel Bugs, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.  It is a beneficial predator, though like other Assassin Bugs, it might bite if carelessly handled or if accidentally trapped in clothing.  As these hatchlings continue to grow and molt, they will lose the red youthful coloration and they will disperse, becoming solitary hunters.  It appears that you also have a different species of Assassin bug on the extreme right side of the photo, or else this might be a freshly molted Wheel Bug.  It is difficult to be certain from the photo.

Letter 43 – Wheel Bug nymph

 

Cool alien looking bug
Location: Lewes, DE
June 23, 2011 11:35 am
I found this bug on a mailbox (exactly where the picture shows it) and when I slammed the lid open and shut again it hadn’t moved a bit, so I know it has a good grip, but I was scared of being stung or bitten. Are these bugs dangerous?
Signature: Sherry

Dear Sherry,
This predatory immature Wheel Bug has piercing and sucking mouthparts.  It is capable of biting if it is carelessly handled, though we rarely get reports of people being bitten by Wheel Bugs.  The bite is reported to be painful, but not dangerous.

Letter 44 – Wheel Bug Nymph bites sunworshiper

 

insect identification
Location: Western Pennslvania
July 7, 2011 7:32 pm
Please identify. This insect bit be in my backyard while I was on my recliner chair. It has 6 legs, orange-brown curled tail, two orange and black antennae, two fangs. A painful puncture bite.
Signature: Tracey

Hi Tracey,
At first we just fired a quick identification response back to you, but we love your photograph and we are enchanted with your email as well.  We can’t believe that after experiencing a Wheel Bug Bite, that you would have the wherewithall to grab a camera and take such a charming photograph.  The canning lid is a nice location.  We imagine you picking green beans or green tomatoes prior to canning them when the incident occurred.  We frequently get requests to identify a Wheel Bug, and your individual is an immature nymph, but very rarely do we get a bite report.  It is alleged to be quite painful, but it seems like Wheel Bugs are reluctant to bite people.  Adult Wheel Bugs have a crest that looks like a mechanical cog, hence the common name Wheel Bug.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you soooo much for identifying this insect for me.  You are definitely right on the money and I am so grateful. I like your deduction that I was doing something as industrious as canning vegetables but the actual truth is that I was laying out in the sun on my stomach when I felt something crawl across my back.  When I moved by hand to flick whatever it was off, I felt a painful bite on my left flank.  I turned over and saw this creature on my recliner.  I had never seen anything like it.  I ran in the house and told my husband and wanted to show him what just bit me.  He had never seen this insect either and had recently experienced a similar painful bite while working in the yard in the same general area a few days earlier.  I decided to catch the bug and find out what it was.  So, the canning jar lid goes to the small glass jar that I am keeping my prisoner of war in.  Now that I know who my enemy is, I suppose I should free him…far away from the house.
Thanks again for your prompt response and correct id.
Tracey

Thanks for the update Tracey,
Biting or stinging creatures, or unknown critters, should never be brushed off or swatted.  To avoid bites and stings, they should be blown off, which we acknowledge might be a bit difficult when the unknown crawler is on the back.

Letter 45 – Wheel Bug lays Eggs

 

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

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.

Letter 46 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Weird ant, please help!
Location: Louisburg, NC
April 4, 2012 7:30 pm
Hi! I have tons of these weird looking ants on my deck and on the wood out by my shed. If you can give me any info on what they are and if they are harmful I would greatly appreciate it! This is the first time I have seen these and they are all over my deck railing.
Signature: Janette

Hi Janette,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs, not ants, though they are frequently mistaken for ants.  They are beneficial predators that will help to control the populations of insects, especially plant feeding species.  Though they are not aggressive toward humans, it is possible that if they are carelessly handled, Wheel Bugs might bite.  This would be more likely with the crested adult Wheel Bug, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.

Letter 47 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Orange and black scorpion looking bug
Location: Donora Pennsylvania
June 17, 2012 11:16 pm
Found this bug on our car in Pennsylvania. Tried to google search it to find something similar but came up with nothing. It’s really ’bugging’ me not being able to identify it. Please help?
Signature: Nicole Rochelle

Hi Nicole,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph.  Wheel Bugs are one of our most common identification requests.

Letter 48 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: red bellie bug
Location: Virginia beach va
August 22, 2012 6:11 pm
I found this bug in my Shiso garden I never seen this before . What is this bug? Thank you Satoko
Signature: satoko moore

Hi Satoko,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph, and while the immature stages have red abdomens, they are not generally this red.  Here is a photo from BugGuide that looks very close to your individual.

Letter 49 – Wheel Bug Mating Frenzy

 

Subject: Saw Blade Backed Beetle
Location: Charlotte, NC
October 10, 2012 9:53 am
Saw this grouping of beetles on my walk along a greenway path. Haven’t been able to identify. Can you help. Thanks
Signature: Tim

Hi Tim,
These are Wheel Bugs and they are Assassin Bugs, not beetles, which may have negatively impacted your ability to find an identity on the internet.  This mating frenzy photo is an excellent addition to our Bug Love tag.

Letter 50 – Wheel Bug called Stegosaurus Bug

 

Subject: Stegosaurus Bug
Location: Rockwall, TX (East side of Dallas)
October 22, 2012 4:49 pm
I’ve never seen anything like this one. It hung around for a couple of days and didn’t quite know what to do with itself. I would love to know what it is. Thank you.
Signature: Texas Lisa

Dear Texas Lisa,
Your letter is not the first one we have received where a person referred to a Wheel Bug as a Stegosaurus Bug or prehistoric insect.  The coglike “wheel” on the thorax most likely discourages predators like birds from trying to swallow a Wheel Bug whole.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs that slowly stalk their prey.

Letter 51 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: North Texas Bug
Location: Denton, TX
May 11, 2013 10:15 pm
Saw this little guy today (May 12, 2013) at a nature preserve in Denton, TX. Could you help me identify him? Thank you! 🙂
Signature: Kayla

Hi Kayla,
We believe this immature Assassin Bug is a Wheel Bug Nymph.

Letter 52 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: Ants
Location: Pittsburgh PA
May 20, 2013 7:26 am
I found these ants outside my back door on the bricks. This colony poped up over night.
Signature: Joe

Dear Joe,
We corrected what we perceived to be an overwhelming cyan cast to your photo and it accentuated the red in the abdomens of these newly hatched Wheel Bugs.  You can still see their empty egg mass in the lower left quadrant.  We will be flying into Pittsburgh in two weeks.

Letter 53 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: ID of red and black ant-like insect
Location: Central Pennsylvania
May 27, 2013 9:11 pm
I found these insects hatching out of a grey paper-like cell type nest on our house siding here in central Pennsylvania today, May 27, 2013. I’m wondering if you can identify it.
Signature: Miriam Roush

Thanks for your consideration of my identification query. I have a bunch of friends on Facebook who are eagerly waiting for an answer, too, since I posted the photo there. Best wishes, Miriam Roush

Dear Miriam,
This is a photo of hatchling Wheel Bugs.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs and they are considered beneficial in the garden.

Letter 54 – Wheel Bug from Mexico

 

Subject: Metal Looking Insect
Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
December 22, 2013 8:39 am
I found this insect on my metal balcony rail. It is 2.5 to 3cms in body length and blended in so well with the metal color that I almost did not see it. It is in the hills of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Signature: Paul Coleman

Hi Paul,
This is a predatory Assassin Bug commonly called a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, or a closely related species in the same genus.  According to the Featured Creatures website:  “The wheel bug occurs throughout Florida. It has been reported from Rhode Island westward through Iowa and Nebraska to California, and southward to Texas and Florida. Blatchley (1926) included Mexico and Guatemala in its range. Wygodzinsky (1949) recognized four species of Arilus in this New World genus, but only cristatus occurs in the United States.”

Thanks very much for this information. It’s always nice to identify what I am taking pictures of.
 Paul Coleman, Earthwalker Ambassador of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) , a United Nations-designated Peace Messenger Initiative, and Member of the Council Advisors for Pathways To Peace, The International Secretariat to CPI. Charity Ambassador to The Living Rainforest

Letter 55 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: what in the world is this??
Location: Odessa FL
March 11, 2014 12:17 pm
Ran across this on my column next to my front door. Do i want these things around?
Signature: helpintampa

Dear helpintampa,
These are Wheel Bug hatchlings, and they are a species of predatory Assassin Bug that helps to control unwanted insect pests in the garden.  In our book, they are beneficial.

Letter 56 – Wheel Bug Hatchling Carnage: Beneficial Predators

 

Subject: Can you ID these and their nest
Location: Northern Texas
April 11, 2014 8:02 pm
I found some of these nymph stage bugs on my Live Oak tree last year and then this year i found several of their nests on my trees and house. The 1st picture is from this year, one up close to the eaves of my house on the bricks as they were hatching out. The 2nd picture is of them on my tree last year. I could not find anyone to ID them so sadly, I did spray them. The 3rd one is the bugs I collected off the tree after I sprayed them. (Sorry for that but I thought it would be better to err than have destructive bugs around. ) I just need to know what they are and if harmful or helpful. It looks like there are about 100 or so per nest. Hopefully the pictures are useful. If you use a viewer that can zoom in they looked good on my PC. Thanks for your help.
Signature: Dan in Texas

Dear Dan,
We hope our response this year prevents a similar carnage to that from last year.  These are beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug hatchlings, and they will help keep your trees and garden free of unwanted insect pests, eliminating the need to use pesticides.  Wheel Bugs are Assassin Bugs, and most are beneficial, and exception being the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs.  Some other Assassin Bugs are prone to biting humans, and though the bite is painful and may cause local swelling, it is not considered dangerous, again the exception being the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs.  We very rarely get reports of Wheel Bugs biting.  Adult Wheel Bugs are large, somewhat prehistoric looking creatures with a coglike “wheel” on the thorax. 

Daniel,
Thank you so much for the information and education.  I have seen a lot of the adult versions of these “armored wonders” around the house but never saw them in their early stages.  I must have found about 8 or 10 of these nests around, some already empty and I assure you now that I know what they are will not do them harm in the future.  I had contacted my agriculture agent about the adults I saw around and he informed me that they were beneficial insects but he could not identify the nest and nymph stages.
Thank you again for all your time and help.

Letter 57 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Red and black bug on parsley
Location: Southeast US near Birmingham, AL
April 22, 2014 3:49 pm
Thank you for this opportunity! This is a photo of a bug found on our parsley garden in late June of 2006. We live near Birmingham, AL in a river valley on several acres between two rivers, the big and Little Cahaba. An entomologist friend of mine identified it for me years ago but I have forgotten its name and do not want to ask again. Hope you can help. Thank you!
Signature: Debbie K Pezzillo

Hi Debbie,
This is a beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug nymph.

Letter 58 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Bug
Location: Keller, Texas
May 26, 2014 5:39 pm
This bug was crawling up our campchairs today. Keller, Texas. I tried to look up what it was… no clue.
Signature: April Driggers

Hi April,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, a predatory Assassin Bug that might bite a human if carelessly handled.

Letter 59 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Arilus Cristatus nymph
Location: Oklahoma City, USA
June 6, 2014 6:55 am
Have seen several of these guys around my quail pen in different molt stages. They are not very common in Washington State (my home state) and I’ve been ecstatic about all the new bugs I’m seeing, and this beauty is no different! However…look, don’t touch. Don’t know about you, but I’m not going to handle anything with a mouthpiece like that. Haha.
I was lucky my ordinary smartphone decided to take an extraordinary photo as most of the time they don’t focus well up close to objects. =)
Enjoy!
Signature: -L

Dear L,
We just posted an image of an immature Big Legged Plant Bug, and we looked through our archives for a nice image of a Wheel Bug Nymph for comparison.  Your photo would have been an excellent choice, but as luck would have it, we posted the other identification request first.

Letter 60 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Bug found on deck near pool
Location: Southwest Virginia
July 12, 2014 7:51 pm
We found this bug and what we assumed was it’s mate on the deck surrounding our pool. This bug will rare back and move it’s head to follow an object when close to it. Just wondering what it is as we have never seen one like this before.
Signature: Louis

Hi Louis,
This is an immature Wheel Bug nymph, and when it matures into an adult Wheel Bug, it will be larger, have fully functional wings capable of flight and it will have a distinctive cog-like projection on its thorax.  Handle with caution:  Wheel Bugs will bite if provoked or carelessly handled.

 

Letter 61 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What IS this?
Location: Bellefonte, PA
August 9, 2014 11:11 am
Could you please tell me what the attached picture is? It has a scorpion like tail, and is pretty small. There is a pair of hemostats in the pic for size reference. A friend found it outside his house.
Signature: Sherry

Dear Sherry,
This is a beneficial predatory Wheel Bug nymph that might bite if carelessly handled, but it is not considered a dangerous species.

Letter 62 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: could these be assasin bug nymphs?
Location: fort worth, texas
April 20, 2015 8:11 pm
I’m located in North texas and found these on my maple tree. They look to be assasin bug nymphs, but I can’t be sure.
Signature: K. Meredith

Dear K. Meredith,
These Wheel Bug hatchlings are indeed Assassin Bug nymphs.

Letter 63 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: What’s this bug?
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
May 11, 2015 8:10 pm
This hive/nest is located at a tree next to my kids bus stop. I wanted to know what type of bugs there were, if they bite and if they are dangerous. The kids are curious and I can see them trying to pick the bugs up. Thanks.
Signature: ?

These are predatory, beneficial Wheel Bug hatchlings.  The adult Wheel Bug is the largest North American Assassin Bug.

Letter 64 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Subject: What is this bug?!
Location: Groveport, ohio
August 5, 2015 2:16 pm
I found this guy on the screen of one of my 2nd story Windows. When I first saw him in the morning on Aug 5th 2015 in Ohio, he was a normal black/brown combo. Later in the day there was a 2nd bug similar to the first only smaller. It appeared that the larger of the 2 was eating the smaller. While this was going on, the larger bug turned almost a lobster red!
Signature: Jen Kelly

Dear Jen,
We believe you misunderstood what you observed.  We suspect you believe the larger Wheel Bug ate the smaller because the smaller was an empty husk, but rather than predation, we believe you observed the metamorphosis of the larger Wheel Bug and that you mistook the exuvia or shed exoskeleton for the prey.  Immediately after metamorphosis, the adult Wheel Bug is bright red, but as its new exoskeleton hardens, it darkens to a gray color.  Wheel Bugs are the largest North American Assassin Bugs, and they have mouths designed to pierce and suck body fluids from the prey.  Though bites to humans are not common, we have gotten reports and we always caution that careless handling might result in a bite.  Wheel Bugs are not considered dangerous to humans, though there are related Assassin Bugs, the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs, that are known vectors for the spread of Chagas Disease.

Letter 65 – Wheel Bug Carnage

 

Subject: Large bug in suburbs
Location: Orefield Pennsylvania
October 11, 2015 4:02 pm
Hi,
My husband and I just purchased a home in Orefield Pennsylvania right outside of Allentown Pennsylvania. About two weeks ago our son was playing in our player outside and I saw a very large bug crawling on his back I’ve never seen anything like it and it scared us. I then found the same bug along our screen door and the next day it had jumped on my mothers arm outside our screen door today the same kind of bug was sitting on top Of our screen door. We have an inground pool we live by a tree line in a very large neighborhood which sits along side of the forest. I grew up in this area and I’ve never seen anything like it. Would you be able to let us know what this is? thank you so much
Signature: The Claytons

Dear Claytons,
This is a predatory Wheel Bug, and though one is quite capable of biting a human if it is handled carelessly, they are not aggressive and they are not considered dangerous.  We hope you learn to co-exist with this beneficial predator because it sounds like you have a healthy population in your vicinity.  One of our missions is to try to educate the public on the interconnectivity of creatures on our planet and to encourage tolerance of the lower beasts.  This poor Wheel Bug looks like it met an untimely death, which we consider Unnecessary Carnage.

Letter 66 – Wheel Bug NOT Kissing Bug

 

Subject: Is this a kissing bug?
Location: Southern New Jersey
November 26, 2015 6:07 am
My husband found this in our bedroom closet in New Jersey. Is it a kissing bug? Our recent travels have included Texas and Florida. I am afraid it may have hitched a ride back with us.
Signature: Don’t Want to Be Kissed By a Bug

This is a Wheel Bug, not a Kissing Bug.  We are quite curious why there is suddenly so much curiosity and concern about Kissing Bugs as we have been receiving numerous Kissing Bug queries daily for the past week.

Thank you so much for your quick response! There have been many articles on Facebook lately about the kissing bug carrying Chagas disease. Maybe that is why? It certainly was for me.:)

Letter 67 – Wheel Bug, NOT Kissing Bug

 

Subject: Is this a “kissing bug”
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
November 28, 2015 3:59 pm
Hello, there has been an arising awareness of these bugs called kissing bugs. I found this in my backyard and wanting to identify it.
Signature: Chelsey

Dear Chelsey,
This is a beneficial predatory Wheel Bug, not a Kissing Bug.

Letter 68 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Subject: Wheel bug nymph hatching in November?
Location: Dacula, GA.
January 24, 2016 9:00 am
Hey there! Thanks to your awesome website here, I was able to identify a wheel bug “clutch” of eggs hatching in my kitchen attached to the inside of my window screen. This late November(2015) I started noticing these small ant like bugs with big red butts crawling on my window sill and counter tops. It wasn’t hard to find where they were coming from as there we’re still SEVERAL hatching from the nest and were hanging out in a cluster on the nest. So my question is, after all the research I’ve done on them(most you supplied), aren’t these guys supposed to hatch in early to mid spring? I live in central northern GA. US, and our fall was mild and warm(70-80° on most days). With the warm humid temps, along with them being indoors, is it possible that it was the perfect environment to hatch early? I guess what I’m really curious about is how common this occurs to wheel bug nymphs. We live on acerage and our house backs up to woods, so I’ve seen my fair share of weird bugs in my house. I have a rule for all these weird bugs- Their home is outside, mine is inside. If you are in my house and look suspicious, you will unfortunatley meet your untimley death. I understand that wheel bugs are huge helpers outside. However, with small children and pets, and no way to safely remove the nest, I had to spray them. The picture I’m submitting is after I sprayed them. I just couldn’t risk them stinging us. Anyway, thanks for any info you can give me!
Signature: Merideth

Dear Meridith,
You are correct that these are Wheel Bug Eggs and you are also correct regarding the early hatching.  We suspect that both the mild weather and the location affected by indoor warmth were factors in the early hatching.  It is also fair to presume that similar conditions would result in a similar outcome in the future.  We understand your reservations with young children.

Letter 69 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: bugs in oak tree
Location: Jonesville, South Carolina
March 19, 2016 1:46 pm
These bugs were seen on the bottom of an oak tree limb about 7′ from the ground near Jonesville, South Carolina on a 70 degree day in March. It looks an entire family at different stages of growth.
Signature: Kenny

Dear Kenny,
This is a group of Wheel Bug hatchlings.  The two that are bright orange may have just molted, and they will eventually darken in color.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators that will help keep your oak tree free of pestiferous species of insects.

Letter 70 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What’s this bug?
Location: Atlanta (wooded area)
December 1, 2016 3:15 pm
I found this super scary bug on my car during the summer. I haven’t seen one since and it still bothers me that I don’t know what it is. I’m terrified of bugs and I was too afraid to kill it.
Can you help distinguish what kind it is?
Thanks!
Signature: Cass

Dear Cass,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, a species of beneficial Assassin Bug.  While they might bite a person if carelessly handled, Wheel Bugs are not aggressive towards humans and a bite, while potentially painful, is not considered dangerous.  Adult Wheel Bugs are much more formidable looking than the considerably smaller nymphs.

Letter 71 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What insect is this?
Location: Leander, TX
April 13, 2017 9:37 am
Found on old fence.
Signature: Steve

Dear Steve,
This is a beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug nymph.  While they are beneficial, they should be handled with caution as they might bite.

Letter 72 – Wheel Bug Molting

 

Subject: Very strange
Location: 17022
May 22, 2017 7:28 am
This was actually from two years ago but the spring time has me wondering whats in store for this year. I found this on my car. I do have a lot of trees and ornamental landscaping. Its freaky and having two young kids its scary. Any ideas? Cell phone pics arent the best, sorry.
Signature: Matt

Dear Matt,
You have captured images of a Wheel Bug molting.  The black part is the cast off exoskeleton and the orange insect is freshly emerged and it will soon darken.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial, predatory Assassin Bugs that should be handled with caution as they might bite.  Your Wheel Bug is still a nymph.  Adults are winged.

Letter 73 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Subject:  What kind of “nest” might this be?
Geographic location of the bug:  Eastern shore of maryland
Date: 04/29/2018
Time: 01:22 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Could you help identify if this is an insect or bees nest?  It’s fairly small.  Less than an inch long and less than a half inch wide.
Thanks!
How you want your letter signed:  Bobbie

Dear Bobbie,
These sure look like Wheel Bug Eggs and here is a BugGuide image for comparison.  This is the time of year we begin to get identification requests for hatchling Wheel Bugs.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs that are beneficial in the home garden.

Letter 74 – Wheel Bug looks Prehistoric

 

Subject:  Dinosaur bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Fort Worth, TX
Date: 05/09/2018
Time: 06:34 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This bug was seen a couple years ago.  It’s on a reed over a small backyard pond.  I have no idea where to even start looking to find out what it is.  It looks prehistoric to me!
How you want your letter signed:  Thanks! Jeanne

Dear Jeanne,
Your image is gorgeous.  You are not the first person to write to us with the observation that the Wheel Bug looks prehistoric.  The Wheel Bug is the largest North American Assassin Bug.

Letter 75 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Subject:  Trying to identify bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Lancaster, PA
Date: 07/22/2018
Time: 08:49 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Trying to idenifity this strange bug found in our friends windo.
How you want your letter signed:  I’m not sure

Your friend was lucky enough to witness and document the metamorphosis of a Wheel Bug, a beneficial, predatory Assassin Bug.  The orange insect is newly emerged from the dark gray sloughed off exoskeleton of the nymph, and it is now a winged adult.  Soon its new exoskeleton will harden and it will darken to its adult coloration.  Wheel Bugs are impressive insects.

Letter 76 – Wheel Bug in Ohio

 

Subject:  Strange bug in Ohio
Geographic location of the bug:  Morrow, OH
Date: 04/25/2019
Time: 05:10 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I saw this sitting on my closed garage door. Have never seen anything like it. Have you an identity for it?
How you want your letter signed:  Jim Kightlinger

Dear Jim,
This is an adult Wheel Bug, the largest North American Assassin Bug, and this is not a rare insect in the eastern part of the continent, however this April sighting is quite unusual.  We generally get images of adult Wheel Bugs much later in the year, especially in northern states, and this is the time of year we expect to get reports of hatchling Wheel Bugs.

Update:  Hi Daniel – Thanks for the ID of the Assassin bug. I should have mentioned that the photo was not current. The picture was taken 10/6/2018 so being an adult was perfectly right for that time of year. Ugly little bugger though. I left him alone to do whatever ugly bugs do.
Thanks again – Jim Kightlinger

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Letter 1 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings, we believe

 

6 legged orange butt black leggs
Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Hi, My name is Sonya and I noticed these bugs on my October Maple tree about 2-3 weeks ago. I live in the Charleston South Carolina area. There is a grouping of these small 6 black legged bugs with orange butts. They tend to stay grouped together but you can find smaller groups of 2-3 in other areas of the tree. I also noted today that there was 2 larger ones that were different colors, mostly orange and some yellow with little to no black on them, they appeared to be mating with some smaller bugs with no orange on them, just black and smaller butts. When I went out with the camera a couple of hours later, after finding this site, I couldn’t find the different ones. Also since I’ve first noted the bugs their butts have changed slightly and now appear to have small black dots in the center of the rear. They also have a small nest of sorts that is dripping stuff down the tree.

I hope this is descriptive enough. Thank you very much for your help. I’ve lived in SC my whole life and don’t recall ever seeing these bugs before.
Sonya in SC
South East

Hi Sonya,
These are newly hatched Hemipterans, or True Bugs.  It is often very difficult to properly identify hatchlings, but we believe these are Wheel Bugs a type of Assassin Bug.  Wheel Bugs, Arilus cristatus, are predators.  The nest you noticed are the eggs laid in a distinctive cluster by the female Wheel Bug.  The hatchlings stay together for a very short time and then they go rogue to hunt alone.  You can compare your specimens to this photo on BugGuide.  The one thing that would make us suspect these may be some other Hemipteran is that in one of your photos, the hatchlings appear to be feeding off of tree sap.  We are uncertain if perhaps immature Wheel Bugs may be attracted to certain plant juices.

Letter 2 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Assassin bug?
Hi, I live in Gaithersburg, Maryland and I’ve been seeing these bugs on my deck over the last month or so. I’m curious to find out about the because I keep finding them on my children. I want to know if they bite and what kind of bite they will get (swelling like a mosquito bite?). I saw a picture on this site that was similar. It was identified as a Wheel Bug Nymph, but all the pictures that I see elsewhere on the internet of the wheel bug, look very different. Could these be VERY immature wheel bugs? Whatever info you could give would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Kelly

Hi Kelly,
This is most assuredly an immature Assassin Bug, most probably a Wheel Bug. The wingless nymphs have a distinctive red abdomen, and it is not until they mature into winged adults that the characteristic cog-like wheel attains its magnificence. The scientific name for the Wheel Bug is Arilus cristatus. All we know about the bite is that it is reputed to be painful, but not dangerous.

Letter 3 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

What’s this bug?
Location: Northwestern Ohio
July 11, 2011 12:06 am
Dear Bugman,
I found this bug in the late afternoon as it walked on the leaves of a large flowering bush. It’s about 5/8” long from the front of it’s head to the end of its abdomen and has a light blue/gray short-cropped fuzz covering most of it’s body.
If you have any questions you are welcome to ask me!
I took the included images myself an you have my permission to use and/or edit them and this note as you see fit.
I thank you in advance for satisfying my curiosity about this friendly little guy.
Signature: Curtis in Ohio

I write you earlier… I just figured it out!
Location: Northwestern Ohio
July 11, 2011 1:00 am
Dear Bugman,
Upon further exploration of your amazing website, I Believe that I have correctly identified the bug in question as a wheel bug nymph. They don’t look much like their grown-up selves, do they? I’ve been able to identify mature wheel bugs since I was a kid. Thanks for teaching me something today! Keep up the good work!
Although you now needn’t publish my inquiry on your forum, you’re still welcome to use the images I’ve included if you like.
Signature: Curtis in Ohio

Hi Curtis,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, one of the predatory Assassin Bugs.  You might want to exercise caution with your finger.  You do not want the Wheel Bug to mistake your finger for a fat caterpillar.  Wheel Bugs have a beak-like mouth that is used for piercing prey and sucking out fluids.  Wheel Bugs are not aggressive, but they can and will bite if accidentally encountered, or carelessly handled.

Letter 4 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Unknown egg cases – help Bugman
February 21, 2010
My daughter and I discovered this array of egg cases on the underside of a branch today, February 21st. The entire array measures maybe 3/4 x 3/4 inch. They are stuck to the branch by a mass of black goo.
Curious in NC
Central North Carolina

Dear Curious,
These are the eggs of a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators that will help control the population of many plant eating insects in your garden.  BugGuide has an image of the hatching eggs for an idea what the hatchlings will look like.

Thanks so much for the quick reply. We are overrun with wheel bugs here and know them well but never knew what the eggs looked like. My daughter is watching them daily in hopes of catching them hatching.
We really enjoy the site, thanks for taking the time.
Regards,
Bill

Letter 5 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What type of insect are these?
May 29, 2009
What type of insect are these?
I was trimming bushes and noticed what appeared to be a small nest (for lack of a better word) on the side of a service berry tree. A couple days later the bugs hatched and were grouped around the nest. I’ve not been able to identify these. What are they?
George in Central Ohio
Central Ohio

Hi George,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs, a species of Assassin Bug.  Most Assassin Bugs, including Wheel Bugs, are beneficial predators.

Letter 6 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings exterminated after hatching indoors

 

bugs hatching
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
January 26, 2011 7:24 pm
Just the other day my roommates and I were in the living room when we noticed a dark spot up my our fireplace. When I climbed up to investigate, I noticed it wasn’t just one bug but a whole bunch of small ones hatching. The area there were in was roughly the size of a adult female palm. They were found in January in Oklahoma. They were about a foot from the celing on the brick around our fireplace in the living room. We caught one in a peice of tape and took it to the home depot and though they couldn’t id the type, they gave us some Raid which killed them. We had a huge problem with black widows in the fall and I’m worried they might be babies that are just hatching. Any ideas? Do we need to have someone come spray for them?
Signature: Amanda

Hi Amamda,
This is a cluster of Wheel Bug hatchlings, a beneficial predator.  It is odd that the egg cluster was laid indoors, but the fact that they were found near a fireplace brings up a possibility.  Perhaps a female Wheel Bug was prowling through the wood pile outdoors looking for a Black Widow Spider to prey upon when the log was taken indoors.  Adult Wheel Bugs are dark gray and they would blend in with the color of the log.  Left with no other alternatives, the Wheel Bug laid her eggs on the ceiling of the living room.  Because of the heat indoors, the eggs hatched early.  Hatchling Wheel Bugs do look somewhat spiderlike and they do have red and black coloration like Black Widows, so your mistake is understandable.  Hatching indoors did not leave them very good odds of survival even without the insecticide, but we are going to tag this posting as Unnecessary Carnage nonetheless because as we stated originally, Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators.

A reader Comments:
RE: hatchling wheel bugs
January 27, 2011 10:07 am
Hello BugMan,
I am writing to you today to convey a message to your readership. I was very dismayed to see all of the wheel bug hatchlings that met a very early demise. This was a very unfortunate event with these awesome wheel bugs, and even though in your response you say Amanda’s mistaking them for Black Widow babies is understandable because of the similar colors and them being ”spiderlike”, I noticed clearly in Amanda’s picture that the bugs have antenna. So that is my message for your readers: if you see something that has antenna, it’s not a spider, as spiders don’t have antenna. Sincerely, Amy
Signature: Amy

Thank you for the response and I inderstand the Unnecessary Carnage tagging though I think you understand my fear they were baby black widows. I would like to point out as well that our fire place is gas and has been sealed up by the homeowners as they do not want renters “setting the house on fire” 🙂 We assumed they climbed in through the fireplace. The next time we find them we will be sure to relocated them back outside where they belong (which I do with most of the insects that find their way in my house with the exception of the black widow.) Can you answer a question of whether or not they bite? I have read several things online that differ. Thank you!
Amanda

Hi again Amanda,
Wheel Bugs can bite, but they do not typically bite humans.  Careless handling might result in a bite.  Certain other Assassin Bugs are more prone to biting, and some species, like Kissing Bugs actually feed on warm blooded hosts, including humans.

Letter 7 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Exotic looking insect
Tue, Jun 2, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I saw these in my backyard and have no idea what they are. I am sending this pic because describing them would not give a clear picture as to what they are.
Eric
Pennsylvania

Hello Eric,
We just posted a letter and photo of a Wheel Bug nymph, and we mentioned that we often get sightings of Wheel Bug hatchlings in the spring.  Hours later, your photo of Wheel Bug hatchlings arrived.  Wheel Bugs are a species of Assassin Bugs and they are beneficial predators in the yard, but they can bite if provoked.  Hatchling Wheel Bugs are often described as antlike or spiderlike, and they look very different from the winged adult with the coglike structure of the thorax which resembles a wheel.

Letter 8 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Crazy bugs
Location: Spring, TX
March 7, 2011 12:52 pm
What are these? Help!
Signature: Mary

Hi Mary,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs.  They are beneficial predators.

Thanks!  Someone said they eat caterpillars.  We raise butterflies.  I’m not sure I’ll view them as beneficial. : )

Letter 9 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Mating Wheel Bugs
I got some great pictures this morning of mating Wheel Bugs, although I’ve never seen an orange one before. Do they change their color for "mating season"? Or is this just a different type of Wheel Bug than the usual black Wheel Bug that I always see around here?: I will also attach the pictures in case you have trouble seeing them in this e-mail. Thanks!
Laura Frazier

Hi Laura,
The orange Wheel Bug in your photo is newly metamorphosed and has not darkened to its normal adult coloration yet. Its “partner” is really the discarded exoskeleton. Thanks for sending in your photo of Wheel Bug metamorphosis. It is rare that we get 11 views at almost 1M per image to choose from. To be honest, we just opened three and chose the best, knowing full well there might have been a gem we missed.

Letter 10 – Wheel Bug: Lays eggs in fall. Eggs hatch in spring

 

What’s this bug?
Location: Cincinnati, OH
May 13, 2011 3:11 pm
Back on October 24th, we came home and saw this bug laying eggs right by our front door. This week, the eggs hatched. I’m attaching pictures of both.
Signature: maddenmama

Dear maddenmama,
We are really impressed that you left this unknown egg mass to hatch.  These are beneficial Wheel Bug hatchlings.  Wheel Bugs are important predators that will help keep your garden free of many insects that are injurious to plants.  The hatchlings will soon disperse.  They will also lose their red coloration.  The image you provided of the female Wheel Bug depositing her eggs shows the coglike structure on the thorax which is the inspiration for the common name Wheel Bug.  They have been referred to as the Stegosaurus Bug by several of our readers.  Wheel Bugs are the largest Assassin Bugs in North America.  They are not aggressive toward humans or pets, but if they are carelessly handled, they might bite.  The bite is painful, but harmless.

Letter 11 – Horehound Bugs from Australia

 

Subject: Bug identification
Location: Townsville, QLD, Australia
September 14, 2016 12:20 am
Hi, after two days of morning rain my Thai basil plants were covered with these bugs. I’ve tried google images but can’t find bugs with the same pattern. Could you please identify these for me? Thank you
Signature: Mariah

Dear Mariah,
We quickly identified your beautiful Stink Bugs as Horehound Bugs, Agonoscelis rutila, thanks to the Alamy site, and we verified that identification on the Brisbane Insect site where it states:  “They are called Horehound bugs because they are usually found on the weed horehound Marrubium vulgare. Sometimes it swarms on foliage and blossoms of fruit trees and ornamental plants but normally causes little injury. “

Letter 12 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

bug eggs?
Ok, any idea what these things could be? My boyfriend located them on a tree in his back yard and I am very curious.
thanks,
taryn

Hi Taryn,
Your boyfriend discovered a cluster of Wheel Bug Eggs, Arilus cristatus. This species of Assassin Bug is beneficial in the garden as it preys on many destructive pests.

Letter 13 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Bug Query with Pictures
Hi!
I was browsing through your site, with great enjoyment, after we found some 30 to 50 of a particular bug on one of our flower plants. Unfortunately, the site is too large for me to do an exhaustive search (although I did look through all 10 beetle pages and a few others). The closest match seemed to be a ladybird pupa, but the picture wasn’t clear enough for me to be certain, and the markings were different (which would be no surprise, given the variation among ladybird beetles). They do seem rather larger than the ladybird beetles we’re used to seeing. We’re in the middle of a city, western Los Angeles, California (90210). In any case, we’d like to find out what these are. They’re black with orange markings, 8-10 cm long, half that in width, fairly flat, with three rows of orange spots on the underside (middle row shorter). One of the pictures shows them at the base of a rose, which was a typical place to find a group of 3 to 8. The other two show two on a poppy stalk, which was more exposed than most of them. It was still cool in the morning, and most were quite inactive; one of them on a rose stem continually wandered around to the far side of the stem while I tried to photograph. No observation of them flying or of wings, although I did see one twitch the triangular patch on its back. All pictures were taken with a flash, and so the edges and highlights are more pronounced than they appeared to the eye. Thanks,
Leif
P.S. Please feel free to make use of the pictures I took in any way you wish.

Hi Leif,
These are not beetles, but true bugs or Hemipterans. More specifically, they are Harlequin Stink Bugs. We generally see them from other parts of the country more pronounced orange markings, but an image on BugGuide from Los Angeles, is a very close match to your image.

Letter 14 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Subject: Friend or foe?
Location: Southeastern Virginia
October 21, 2013 5:04 pm
I can’t tell if this bug does damage to my plants or to other pests or neither. I do seem to find them on plants that have damage especially cole crops and squash. The one in the picture was moved from the garden to the front of the shed so I could get a good photo.
Signature: Thanks! Rebecca

Hi Rebecca,
You probably want to consider the Harlequin Stink Bug as a foe.  The Harlequin Stink Bug uses its piercing and sucking mouthparts to take fluids from plants in the cabbage family, including kale.  If they are numerous, they may cause significant damage.

Letter 15 – Harlequin Stink Bug

 

Subject: What is this colorful bug/insect?
Location: Laurel, MD
November 22, 2015 4:54 am
I was about to open this organics baby spring mix greens, triple washed, sealed in plastic bin, when I noticed this bug (beetle, perhaps?) in the container. I would love to know what this bug is and likely that it is not dangerous or anything, since I know nothing about insects really, but do find them interesting. The bin does say, product of USA.
The bug crawls slowly, like a beetle crawls.
Thank you for any help with this identification.
Signature: Suzanne Arnold

Dear Suzanne,
This is a Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, and though it is a variable species with regard to markings, the orange, black and white coloration is quite distinctive.  Here is an image from BugGuide.  Finding it among organic greens makes perfect sense because according to BugGuide:  “hosts: primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.”

Dear Daniel – Thank you so much!  I still have him/her, so will release him/her to the outside.  I will go look that Bug Guide up as well.   I am so appreciative of your help; I have been looking, but had not come across this particular bug, and there are so many, many quite beautiful types, species, out there; it is just amazing.  Thanks again.

Letter 16 – Harlequin Stink Bug in Mount Washington

 

July 26, 2009
While photographing the Bagrada hilaris mating on our kale, we noticed this Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, on our collard greens.  They look quite similar in terms of color and markings, but the Bagrada is much smaller.

We went back out with the camera, placed two specimens in the freezer to slow them down, and took the following size comparison photo between Bagrada and Murgantia.

Letter 17 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Is this a variety of ladybug?
Location: San Jose East foothills
May 5, 2013 2:39 pm
I found a bunch of these as I was clearing out some alyssum and weeds next to my clemetis. It is small (about 1/8-1/4” max) looks kinda like a lady bug in shape but different markings and I wanted to know if it was beneficial or not. This was taken May 5th
Thanks!
Signature: Denise

Dear Denise,
This is the nymph of a Harlequin Stink Bug, Murgantia histrionica, a species that feeds on fluids of plants mainly in the cabbage family.  You can compare your image to this photo on BugGuide.

Thank You for such a quick reply – and on a Sunday too!
Your site is great!

Letter 18 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymph

 

Subject: harlequin nymph?
Location: Fountain Valley CA
May 16, 2014 1:22 pm
I first thought these were beetles, but now I suspect they are harlequin bug nymphs. Any help with ID? These were photographed at Mile Square Park, Fountain Valley CA this morning 5/16/2014. Thanks
Signature: Woodworker

Dear Woodworker,
You are correct that this is a Harlequin Bug nymph, Murgantia histrionica.

Letter 19 – Harlequin Stink Bug Nymphs

 

Subject: unknown Beetle
Location: San Diego, CA
July 17, 2014 5:37 pm
I found these beetles at the Cabrillo Museum in sand Diego this weekend. Any idea what they are? I’ve searched the internet, and was unable to find a picture of them. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Signature: Debbi Haag

Hi Debbi,
These pretty critters are not beetles, but rather, they are True Bugs in the suborder Heteroptera.  More specifically, they are immature Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica.  Adults have a similar coloration, and they have fully functional wings.  Harlequin Stink Bugs feed on plants in the cabbage family, so they are generally not welcome in the vegetable patch, and locally in California, they are often found feeding on wild mustard which has been introduced and has naturalized in many open spaces in the southland.  For more information on the Harlequin Stink Bug, you can try BugGuide.

One of your images depicts an adult with two nymphs.

Letter 20 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject: It’s cute and it flies
Location: San Antonio, TX
July 16, 2013 1:33 pm
Dear Bugman,
I think this little critter is new to our garden. They started out living on my broccoli earlier this year. When it was time to remove those plants, they moved to the radish patch that was in front of the broccoli. They don’t seem to be disturbing the plants but they do like to fly around and crawl on me and my 3 year old son. He loves it and thinks of them as his bug friends. So, I want to make sure we are safe around them. Future thanks for any information you might be able to provide!
Signature: Katie

Dear Katie,
These Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica, will not harm your son, however, they are a plant feeding species and they are not healthy for plants in the cabbage family, including broccoli.

Letter 21 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject: Murgantia histrionica – Harlequin Bug in Pennsylvania
Location: Mastersonville PA, North Chiques Road
September 8, 2013 3:43 pm
Hi Bugman
I have been an insect enthusiast since childhood and this is the first time I’ve seen harlequin bugs in our area (Lancaster PA). I read on bug guide.net that Pennsylvania is the northern part of their range.
There were around 50 individuals, nymphs and adults, on a cocklebur plant at my garden near Mastersonville, PA. Thought you could use some more photos of them since I only found once incidence of these insects on your site.
Melody McFarland
Lancaster, PA
Signature: Melody

Hi Melody,
Thank you so much for sending us your photos of Harlequin Stink Bugs.  We are especially intrigued that you found them feeding on cocklebur.  According to the UC Davis Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium, is in the sunflower family Asteraceae, and we have always associated the Harlequin Stink Bug with plants in the cabbage family Brassicaceae.  According to BugGuide, Harlequin Stink Bugs feed on:  “primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.”  Searching our site with the internal search engine and the scientific name Murgantia histrionica, we found over ten postings buried in our archives.

Letter 22 – Harlequin Stink Bugs

 

Subject:  Pretty Bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Bolsa Chica Reserve, Huntington Beach, CA
Date: 05/22/2018
Time: 02:06 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We saw many of these colorful bugs on a bladder pod plant. What are they?
How you want your letter signed:  Espressive

These colorful Harlequin Stink Bugs, Murgantia histrionica, are commonly found feeding on plants in the cabbage family, so you finding them on bladderpod piqued our curiosity.  According to BugGuide:  “hosts: primarily Brassicaceae (horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, mustard, Brussels sprouts, turnip, kohlrabi, radish); may also attack tomato, potato, eggplant, okra, bean, asparagus, beet, weeds, fruit trees and field crops.“

Letter 23 – Hatchling Stink Bug from Brazil

 

Subject:  need help identifying a cute bug my friend found
Geographic location of the bug:  sao paulo brazil
Date: 01/19/2018
Time: 05:18 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  hi my friend sent me this bug he thought was really pretty and i wanted to help identify it for him but i couldnt for the life of me figure out what the lil guy was!!!
my friend said it didnt jump or fly at all. it just crawled around
and if i had to guess it could be like a nymph of something maybe???
(these are my friends images)
How you want your letter signed:  charlie

Dear Charlie,
This little guy is a hatchling Heteropteran or True Bug, and we are pretty certain it is a hatchling Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae.  It might not be possible to provide a species as nymphs can be difficult to identify with certainty.

THANKS SO MUCH
Me n him were goin crazy trying 2 figure it out haha!!! We thought it might have been a stink bug but we werent sure because we only came across brown stinkbug nymphs in our search i think, none that looked like this.
Its nice 2 know definitely thats what it was!!! Thanks a big bunch

Letter 24 – how to get rid of stink bugs???

 

Hi Bugman!
My name is Cynthia I live just outside of Stuttgart, Germany. September 2003 we moved into a new apartment. After a few weeks, the outside windows were covered by dozens of ‘stink bugs’. They look like the ones I remember from my childhood growing up in Charlotte, NC. I’ve attached a photo. They did everything they could to get into the apartment and we tried everything to keep them out. The last tenant said he never saw such bugs during his two years living here. During the Winter months, we did not see any of the bugs. This first week in Feb. has been quite warm and now every morning I have to remove 2-5 bugs from the apartment. The ‘What’s That Bug’ site says these bugs are plant eaters, but I have not found any on my house plants. This house does have lots of wood paneling. Could that be attracting them? Any suggestions on how to keep them out? They are a real pest and really make my skin crawl!
Thanks for any suggestions you can give!
Cynthia

Dear Cynthia,
You do have a Stink Bug, Family Pentatomidae. They can be recognized by the shieldlike shape and the large triangular scutullum, the posterior portion of the thorax. They are plant eaters, for the most part, though some prey on other insects. The mouthparts are designed for piercing and sucking, so you won’t notice any chewed leaves. If the winter weather is warming, they could have roused themselves from hibernation and are seeking a new place to finish wintering over, hence their attraction to your house. They are seeking shelter, not food, so it is difficult to keep them out without making your house inhospitable. Sorry, I have no control advice.

Letter 25 – Immature Conchuela Stink Bug

 

Subject:  Round black beetle with white margin and 6 white spots on rear of abdomen
Geographic location of the bug:  Reno NV foothills 6000’ elevation
Date: 08/01/2019
Time: 02:00 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  These smallish round beatles have surprised us by coming into the house by the dozens.  Never saw them before. They are in scattered locations, mostly on the floor, and I don’t move much, but can move slowly or rather quickly if disturbed. I can’t figure out what they want or what they eat. Several are on the doorstep, anxious to come in if the door is opened.
They are round black beetles with white margin and 6 white spots on rear of abdomen.
How you want your letter signed:  Carolyn

Dear Carolyn,
This is not a Beetle.  It is an immature Stink Bug, and based on this BugGuide image, it is in the genus Chlorochroa, probably the Conchuela Stink Bug.  According to BugGuide:  “prefers fleshy fruits of various plants, especially agarita, balsam-gourd and mesquite; also on sage, yucca, mustards, prickly pear (Opuntia), and various crops (cotton, alfalfa, corn, sorghum, grapes, peas, tomatoes, etc.); primarily a seed feeder preferring leguminous plants (once mesquite beans dry, the bugs move to more succulent plants). “

Letter 26 – Hatchling Predatory Shield Bugs from Australia

 

hatching shield bugs
May 6, 2010
Hi guys,
Hope the Mothers Day trip was great, you certainly deserve the time off. Hope also that you like this shot of hatching Predatory (also called Glossy) Shield Bugs. The fluoro ones will quickly harden off to match their slightly older siblings and go onto to fulfill their role of predator on caterpillars and the like. They are considered an important predator of agricultural pests.
Aussietrev
Queensland, Australia

Hi Trevor,
Thanks for sending the great photo of hatchling Predatory Shield Bugs.  Can you provide a species name?

Hi Daniel,
They are Cermatulus nasalis
regards,
Trevor

Thanks Trevor,
Nymphs can be very difficult to identify properly.

Letter 27 – Hairy Shieldbug from Wales

 

Subject: Pink Bug
Location: Presteigne, Powys
June 4, 2016 9:58 am
I live in the border country of Herefordshire/Shropshire/Wales. Near Presteigne, Powys. Rather high on a hill. This bug appeared on a stand of mint in a bed near the front of my house, south facing. This photo was taken today (4th June 2016). The weather was warm and overcast, no wind. The bug has a pink back with a metallic gold marking. An alternating pattern of black and white on either side, like a decorative trim.
Signature: Christine

Dear Christine,
Thanks to the British Bugs site, we were able to identify your Hairy Shieldbug, Dolycoris baccarum.  According to the site:  “A large and distinctive purple-brown and greenish shieldbug which is covered with long hairs. The antennae and connexivum are banded black and white. During the winter, the ground colour becomes uniformly dull brown.”  It is also called a Sloe Bug according to NatureSpot where it states:  “This bug overwinters as an adult, emerging in the spring. Larvae, which are also hairy, may be found on numerous plants besides Blackthorn, particularly those in the Roasaceae family. The new generation is complete from August onwards.”  According to Garden Safari:  “Of all the stink bugs this one is the worst. It really loves berries, especially Honeysuckle and Raspberries. It walks all over them, leaving behind an awful stinking substance. This makes all berries it walked over inedible. Like in other Stink Bugs the substance is made for protection. A bird or other enemy will eat only one bug in its entire live. Afterwards it will always remember the dreadful taste and will never touch another bug again.”

Dear Daniel,
Thank you for your speedy reply. In spite of its beguiling pink and gold colours, it seems my bug is quite a nasty creature!
I am most grateful to you for taking the time to answer my question. Best wishes to you for your interesting website!
Christine
Herefordshire

Letter 28 – Hawthorn Shield Bug

 

Hawthorn Shield Bug (Stinkbug) from England
Thought you might like my pictures of a Hawthorn Shield Bug (or is it a Birch Shield Bug?) taken in my garden near Liverpool, England. I see from your pages they are called stinkbugs in the US, although this one didn’t stink, even when my curious eight year old dropped it (oops).
Sharron

Hi Sharron,
We also call the bugs in the family Pentatomidae Shield Bugs, but Stink Bugs is a more commonly used common name. We don’t recognize your species, but we are thrilled to have it as an example.

Letter 29 – Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph from India

 

Subject: Silver beetle with gold spots
Location: New bombay, Maharashtra, Western ghats
December 21, 2013 10:31 pm
Hey found this one at my workplace just around the time monsoon was setting in.
Signature: Best wishes

This is not a beetle, but rather an immature True Bug in the suborder Heteroptera, possibly a Stink Bug in the family Pentatomidae.  Nymphs can often be very difficult to identify to the species level even when the adult is easily recognizable.

Update:  Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph
Thanks to a comment by the submitter who was able to continue research based on our response, we now know that this is a Hong Kong Shield Bug nymph, Erthesina fullo, and we located a photo on website dedicated to Hong Kong insects.

Letter 30 – Wheel Bug feasting on Io Moth Caterpillar

 

wheelbug’s big appetite
I found this guy enjoying a meal. I know you have a great collection of pictures, but I thought you might enjoy this one. Thank You for a helpful site,
Dustin

Hi Dustin,
What a wonderful Food Chain image of a Wheel Bug sucking the fluids from an Io Moth Caterpillar. Thanks for sending it our way.

Letter 31 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

black and orange bug
In the summer I saw a few of these bugs in the field, but I have not been able to find them in any of the fuild guides that I have. Can you tell me what it is?? Picture attached. Thanks so much.
Clotilde

Hi Clotilde,
Rarely do field guides show immature insects. This is a Wheel Bug Nymph. Adults have a distinctive coglike structure on the thorax.

Letter 32 – Wheel Bug deploys scent gland

 

Wheel Bug Ovipositing
I recently (12/09/06) came across this wheel bug ovipositing in the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and wanted to share the images. I found the bug’s ovipositor(s) very interesting. Great site,
Anthony

Hi Anthony,
We have gotten many images of the distinctive Wheel Bug egg clusters, but this is the first for us. Thanks for sending your wonderful photo to us. Eric Eaton later clarified as to what was happening in this image: ” I just noticed that this wheel bug is NOT laying an egg, but deploying a scarlet scent gland in self-defense. Don’t know what triggers this behavior, but I did find a wheelbug in a spider web once that had spilled a great amount of bright orange goo like this. Eric “

Letter 33 – Wheel Bug Lays Eggs, Eggs Hatch

 

Wheel bug mom
Thought you might enjoy this wheel bug that nested near my shop last spring.
Keith

Hi Keith,
This is the first photo we have ever gotten of the adult female Wheel Bug with her eggs.

Letter 34 – Wheel Bug in a Pot

 

What is this Bug
My 8 year old found this on the back porch and was wondering what kind of bug it is. Note the spiny appendage on his back that I thought would make it easy to identify, but haven’t been able to find anything in the reference materials so far.
Ben
Eastern Missouri

Hi Ben,
If that is the 5 quart pasta pot, that has to be the biggest Wheel Bug on record. Handle with care as Wheel Bugs can deliver a painful bite. Seriously, what kind of pot is that in your photo, which we find terribly amusing, and perhaps our favorite Wheel Bug photo ever.

Thanks very much for the information.  Didn’t know they bite, so glad we asked.  No, it’s certainly not a 5 quart pasta pot.  Actually, the photo was very close-up and the “pot” is actually a doll-sized toy (probably 12 – 16 oz).  I would estimate the bug was 2.5″ to 3″ in length.  Thanks again,
DLM

Letter 35 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Big red Bug.
August 8, 2009
Can you tell me what this is?
Patrick Robinson
Statesville, NC

Hi Patrick
Your newly metamorphosed Wheel Bug will turn black or dark gray when its exoskeleton hardens. The colors of your photograph are quite striking.

Letter 36 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Spider like ants with orange abdomens
April 27, 2010
Hi, Im sorry if this email was sent twice, I’m not sure if the first sent, my pc is acting up. Anyway, I took these pics in April of 2010, these ants were found on a small willow tree in my yard. They have been more or less in the same spot, around a honey comb looking structure on the tree for several days. At first I thought they were spiders, untill I noticed only 6 legs instead of 8.
Chris M
North East Texas, west of Fort Worth

Hi Chris,
Each spring we get numerous images of Wheel Bug hatchlings, but your photos might be the best ever.  The Wheel Bug is North America’s largest Assassin Bug.

Daniel Marlos,
Thank you very much, not only for sharing your information and replying so quickly, but also for your complement on my photos. I actually took those pics on a cheap 80-90 dollar digital camera.
I take many pictures of insects that I have never seen before now that I live in Texas. And now that I found your site, I’m sure I’ll be sending more.
Thank you once again.
Chris M

Hi again Chris,
We often tell our photography students, that though it is great to have wonderful equipment and state of the art technology, it is far more important to be a talented and aware photographer.  We look forward to getting future submissions, but keep post-production manipulation to a minimum.

Letter 37 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What is it?
May 2, 2010
I saw it under some leaves. not sure what it is.
Doesnt Matter
South Carolina

Dear Doesnt Matter,
These are Wheel Bug Hatchlings and Eggs.  Wheel Bugs are North America’s largest Assassin Bugs and they are beneficial predators.  This is the first letter we are setting to post during our trip to Ohio to visit Mom for Mother’s Day.  This will be the first Mother’s Day in 31 years that we have spent with Mom, and we are very excited.

Letter 38 – Wheel Bug Fanmail

 

So much help!!
Location:  Central Ohio
October 13, 2010 6:42 am
Hey guys! I’ve been a fan of your website for some time now, I even look at it on a fairly regular basis with my two-year-old. He loves seeing and learning the names of new bugs. 🙂
I just had to say that, had it not been because I look at your site so often, I wouldn’t have been able to teach my nephew about a bug my mom found for him. My brother-in-law was convinced it was a rhino beetle (in Ohio?!?), but as soon as I saw it, I knew exactly what it was.
My mom had found a wheel bug crawling up her pants leg! My nephew was curious about it and wanted to take it in to school, but since no one knew what it was, they wanted to find info on it first. I pulled up your website and sent a link to my brother-in-law, so he could find more info in he wanted and let my nephew take it to school with him.
The only picture I got of the little guy was on my cell phone, so I apologize for the bad quality.
So, I wanted to say, thank you all for the effort you put in to keeping the website up, and keeping everyone informed about bugs of the world.
Signature:  Thankful Fan

Dear Thankful Fan,
We are relieved that you had already identified your Wheel Bug as it might have been a difficult identification for us since the image is so blurry.  Your letter really cheered us up this morning, and we are happy to tag it as fanmail.

Letter 39 – Wheel Bug: Dead after the storm

 

Wheel bug casualty of midwestern storm- detailed pic
Location: Southwestern Ohio
October 27, 2010 7:10 pm
I found this wheel bug (?) quite dead in some leaf debris on my parents’ deck. From what I’ve heard, this was a smallish one. I thought this photo showed the distinctive wheel and the proboscis pretty well.
Signature: Kitsa

Hi Kitsa,
Thank you for sending this photo of a Wheel Bug that did not survive the storm.  We have already decided that we are receiving so many Wheel Bug identification requests this month that we are making it the Bug of the Month for November even though it held the exact same honor in November of 2008.

Letter 40 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Freaky Bug found in our Dorm Room
Location: Sarasota, FL
April 14, 2011 12:06 am
Hello,
We are three girls from Sarasota, Florida and we found this hideous bug in our dorm room! We were wondering if you could identify it for us as we want to know if this bug is dangerous and whether or not we need to ask our school to call pest control!
Signature: 3 Girls from Ringling

Dear 3 Girls from Ringling,
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and we just posted a letter from Schoolyard Mom who describe this insect as a Beautiful Mystery.  This is an immature Wheel Bug, and though we rarely get reports of people being bitten by Wheel Bugs, your photo nicely illustrates the piercing and sucking mouthparts.  Wheel Bugs are predators, and if left in your dorm, it will most likely feed upon any cockroaches that are cohabitating with you.  There is no need to call pest control.  Wheel Bugs are outdoor insects that may wander indoors, though that would not be their chosen hunting grounds.

Letter 41 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Unknown evil looking bug
Location: Jacksonville, FL
April 14, 2011 8:18 pm
Hello Bugman,
I found this nasty buggy on my car today and would really like to know what he is. Or was, rather. I drove to the store with him on my car, figuring he’d get swept off on the ride, but the little bugger help on like a champ, only to be thwarted when I opened the back hatch. He may still be alive, only separated from his possible family that might possibly live in my yard. I just moved to Jax, Fl from Denver and would love to know if my life is now going to be filled with these types of encounters every day. *gulp*
Thank you so very much for your time,
Amy
Signature: Amy

Hi Amy,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph, a beneficial predator, and it is the third identification request we are posting from Florida this morning.  Previous inquiries describe the Wheel Bug nymph as beautiful and hideous, and you believe it to be evil looking.  Your Wheel Bug nymph is younger than the other two individuals.  The red color of this early instar nymph will soon vanish.  Very young Wheel Bugs are often mistaken for spiders, and hatchlings tend to stay together at first, separating shortly after hatching.  Wheel Bugs are capable of biting, though we do not receive many reports of people being bitten by them.  You have moved to Florida, and we expect you will be encountering many unusual insects.  We hope you will use our website to distinguish the beneficial species from the problematic species.

Letter 42 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

What is this!
Location: Coastal Plains area of North Carolina
May 9, 2011 10:26 am
I was in Wallace North Carolina when I saw these little things all over the tree in my aunts front yard. I’ve never seen this kind of bug before. I snapped a few pictures of it. They live in a colony like ants, and they seem to be carnivorous.
Signature: Darrick Williams

Dear Darrick,
This is a relatively newly hatched brood of Wheel Bugs, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.  It is a beneficial predator, though like other Assassin Bugs, it might bite if carelessly handled or if accidentally trapped in clothing.  As these hatchlings continue to grow and molt, they will lose the red youthful coloration and they will disperse, becoming solitary hunters.  It appears that you also have a different species of Assassin bug on the extreme right side of the photo, or else this might be a freshly molted Wheel Bug.  It is difficult to be certain from the photo.

Letter 43 – Wheel Bug nymph

 

Cool alien looking bug
Location: Lewes, DE
June 23, 2011 11:35 am
I found this bug on a mailbox (exactly where the picture shows it) and when I slammed the lid open and shut again it hadn’t moved a bit, so I know it has a good grip, but I was scared of being stung or bitten. Are these bugs dangerous?
Signature: Sherry

Dear Sherry,
This predatory immature Wheel Bug has piercing and sucking mouthparts.  It is capable of biting if it is carelessly handled, though we rarely get reports of people being bitten by Wheel Bugs.  The bite is reported to be painful, but not dangerous.

Letter 44 – Wheel Bug Nymph bites sunworshiper

 

insect identification
Location: Western Pennslvania
July 7, 2011 7:32 pm
Please identify. This insect bit be in my backyard while I was on my recliner chair. It has 6 legs, orange-brown curled tail, two orange and black antennae, two fangs. A painful puncture bite.
Signature: Tracey

Hi Tracey,
At first we just fired a quick identification response back to you, but we love your photograph and we are enchanted with your email as well.  We can’t believe that after experiencing a Wheel Bug Bite, that you would have the wherewithall to grab a camera and take such a charming photograph.  The canning lid is a nice location.  We imagine you picking green beans or green tomatoes prior to canning them when the incident occurred.  We frequently get requests to identify a Wheel Bug, and your individual is an immature nymph, but very rarely do we get a bite report.  It is alleged to be quite painful, but it seems like Wheel Bugs are reluctant to bite people.  Adult Wheel Bugs have a crest that looks like a mechanical cog, hence the common name Wheel Bug.

Dear Daniel,
Thank you soooo much for identifying this insect for me.  You are definitely right on the money and I am so grateful. I like your deduction that I was doing something as industrious as canning vegetables but the actual truth is that I was laying out in the sun on my stomach when I felt something crawl across my back.  When I moved by hand to flick whatever it was off, I felt a painful bite on my left flank.  I turned over and saw this creature on my recliner.  I had never seen anything like it.  I ran in the house and told my husband and wanted to show him what just bit me.  He had never seen this insect either and had recently experienced a similar painful bite while working in the yard in the same general area a few days earlier.  I decided to catch the bug and find out what it was.  So, the canning jar lid goes to the small glass jar that I am keeping my prisoner of war in.  Now that I know who my enemy is, I suppose I should free him…far away from the house.
Thanks again for your prompt response and correct id.
Tracey

Thanks for the update Tracey,
Biting or stinging creatures, or unknown critters, should never be brushed off or swatted.  To avoid bites and stings, they should be blown off, which we acknowledge might be a bit difficult when the unknown crawler is on the back.

Letter 45 – Wheel Bug lays Eggs

 

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

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.

Letter 46 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Weird ant, please help!
Location: Louisburg, NC
April 4, 2012 7:30 pm
Hi! I have tons of these weird looking ants on my deck and on the wood out by my shed. If you can give me any info on what they are and if they are harmful I would greatly appreciate it! This is the first time I have seen these and they are all over my deck railing.
Signature: Janette

Hi Janette,
These are newly hatched Wheel Bugs, not ants, though they are frequently mistaken for ants.  They are beneficial predators that will help to control the populations of insects, especially plant feeding species.  Though they are not aggressive toward humans, it is possible that if they are carelessly handled, Wheel Bugs might bite.  This would be more likely with the crested adult Wheel Bug, the largest Assassin Bug in North America.

Letter 47 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Orange and black scorpion looking bug
Location: Donora Pennsylvania
June 17, 2012 11:16 pm
Found this bug on our car in Pennsylvania. Tried to google search it to find something similar but came up with nothing. It’s really ’bugging’ me not being able to identify it. Please help?
Signature: Nicole Rochelle

Hi Nicole,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph.  Wheel Bugs are one of our most common identification requests.

Letter 48 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: red bellie bug
Location: Virginia beach va
August 22, 2012 6:11 pm
I found this bug in my Shiso garden I never seen this before . What is this bug? Thank you Satoko
Signature: satoko moore

Hi Satoko,
This is a Wheel Bug Nymph, and while the immature stages have red abdomens, they are not generally this red.  Here is a photo from BugGuide that looks very close to your individual.

Letter 49 – Wheel Bug Mating Frenzy

 

Subject: Saw Blade Backed Beetle
Location: Charlotte, NC
October 10, 2012 9:53 am
Saw this grouping of beetles on my walk along a greenway path. Haven’t been able to identify. Can you help. Thanks
Signature: Tim

Hi Tim,
These are Wheel Bugs and they are Assassin Bugs, not beetles, which may have negatively impacted your ability to find an identity on the internet.  This mating frenzy photo is an excellent addition to our Bug Love tag.

Letter 50 – Wheel Bug called Stegosaurus Bug

 

Subject: Stegosaurus Bug
Location: Rockwall, TX (East side of Dallas)
October 22, 2012 4:49 pm
I’ve never seen anything like this one. It hung around for a couple of days and didn’t quite know what to do with itself. I would love to know what it is. Thank you.
Signature: Texas Lisa

Dear Texas Lisa,
Your letter is not the first one we have received where a person referred to a Wheel Bug as a Stegosaurus Bug or prehistoric insect.  The coglike “wheel” on the thorax most likely discourages predators like birds from trying to swallow a Wheel Bug whole.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs that slowly stalk their prey.

Letter 51 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: North Texas Bug
Location: Denton, TX
May 11, 2013 10:15 pm
Saw this little guy today (May 12, 2013) at a nature preserve in Denton, TX. Could you help me identify him? Thank you! 🙂
Signature: Kayla

Hi Kayla,
We believe this immature Assassin Bug is a Wheel Bug Nymph.

Letter 52 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: Ants
Location: Pittsburgh PA
May 20, 2013 7:26 am
I found these ants outside my back door on the bricks. This colony poped up over night.
Signature: Joe

Dear Joe,
We corrected what we perceived to be an overwhelming cyan cast to your photo and it accentuated the red in the abdomens of these newly hatched Wheel Bugs.  You can still see their empty egg mass in the lower left quadrant.  We will be flying into Pittsburgh in two weeks.

Letter 53 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: ID of red and black ant-like insect
Location: Central Pennsylvania
May 27, 2013 9:11 pm
I found these insects hatching out of a grey paper-like cell type nest on our house siding here in central Pennsylvania today, May 27, 2013. I’m wondering if you can identify it.
Signature: Miriam Roush

Thanks for your consideration of my identification query. I have a bunch of friends on Facebook who are eagerly waiting for an answer, too, since I posted the photo there. Best wishes, Miriam Roush

Dear Miriam,
This is a photo of hatchling Wheel Bugs.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs and they are considered beneficial in the garden.

Letter 54 – Wheel Bug from Mexico

 

Subject: Metal Looking Insect
Location: Oaxaca, Mexico
December 22, 2013 8:39 am
I found this insect on my metal balcony rail. It is 2.5 to 3cms in body length and blended in so well with the metal color that I almost did not see it. It is in the hills of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Signature: Paul Coleman

Hi Paul,
This is a predatory Assassin Bug commonly called a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, or a closely related species in the same genus.  According to the Featured Creatures website:  “The wheel bug occurs throughout Florida. It has been reported from Rhode Island westward through Iowa and Nebraska to California, and southward to Texas and Florida. Blatchley (1926) included Mexico and Guatemala in its range. Wygodzinsky (1949) recognized four species of Arilus in this New World genus, but only cristatus occurs in the United States.”

Thanks very much for this information. It’s always nice to identify what I am taking pictures of.
 Paul Coleman, Earthwalker Ambassador of the Culture of Peace Initiative (CPI) , a United Nations-designated Peace Messenger Initiative, and Member of the Council Advisors for Pathways To Peace, The International Secretariat to CPI. Charity Ambassador to The Living Rainforest

Letter 55 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: what in the world is this??
Location: Odessa FL
March 11, 2014 12:17 pm
Ran across this on my column next to my front door. Do i want these things around?
Signature: helpintampa

Dear helpintampa,
These are Wheel Bug hatchlings, and they are a species of predatory Assassin Bug that helps to control unwanted insect pests in the garden.  In our book, they are beneficial.

Letter 56 – Wheel Bug Hatchling Carnage: Beneficial Predators

 

Subject: Can you ID these and their nest
Location: Northern Texas
April 11, 2014 8:02 pm
I found some of these nymph stage bugs on my Live Oak tree last year and then this year i found several of their nests on my trees and house. The 1st picture is from this year, one up close to the eaves of my house on the bricks as they were hatching out. The 2nd picture is of them on my tree last year. I could not find anyone to ID them so sadly, I did spray them. The 3rd one is the bugs I collected off the tree after I sprayed them. (Sorry for that but I thought it would be better to err than have destructive bugs around. ) I just need to know what they are and if harmful or helpful. It looks like there are about 100 or so per nest. Hopefully the pictures are useful. If you use a viewer that can zoom in they looked good on my PC. Thanks for your help.
Signature: Dan in Texas

Dear Dan,
We hope our response this year prevents a similar carnage to that from last year.  These are beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug hatchlings, and they will help keep your trees and garden free of unwanted insect pests, eliminating the need to use pesticides.  Wheel Bugs are Assassin Bugs, and most are beneficial, and exception being the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs.  Some other Assassin Bugs are prone to biting humans, and though the bite is painful and may cause local swelling, it is not considered dangerous, again the exception being the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs.  We very rarely get reports of Wheel Bugs biting.  Adult Wheel Bugs are large, somewhat prehistoric looking creatures with a coglike “wheel” on the thorax. 

Daniel,
Thank you so much for the information and education.  I have seen a lot of the adult versions of these “armored wonders” around the house but never saw them in their early stages.  I must have found about 8 or 10 of these nests around, some already empty and I assure you now that I know what they are will not do them harm in the future.  I had contacted my agriculture agent about the adults I saw around and he informed me that they were beneficial insects but he could not identify the nest and nymph stages.
Thank you again for all your time and help.

Letter 57 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Red and black bug on parsley
Location: Southeast US near Birmingham, AL
April 22, 2014 3:49 pm
Thank you for this opportunity! This is a photo of a bug found on our parsley garden in late June of 2006. We live near Birmingham, AL in a river valley on several acres between two rivers, the big and Little Cahaba. An entomologist friend of mine identified it for me years ago but I have forgotten its name and do not want to ask again. Hope you can help. Thank you!
Signature: Debbie K Pezzillo

Hi Debbie,
This is a beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug nymph.

Letter 58 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Bug
Location: Keller, Texas
May 26, 2014 5:39 pm
This bug was crawling up our campchairs today. Keller, Texas. I tried to look up what it was… no clue.
Signature: April Driggers

Hi April,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, a predatory Assassin Bug that might bite a human if carelessly handled.

Letter 59 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Arilus Cristatus nymph
Location: Oklahoma City, USA
June 6, 2014 6:55 am
Have seen several of these guys around my quail pen in different molt stages. They are not very common in Washington State (my home state) and I’ve been ecstatic about all the new bugs I’m seeing, and this beauty is no different! However…look, don’t touch. Don’t know about you, but I’m not going to handle anything with a mouthpiece like that. Haha.
I was lucky my ordinary smartphone decided to take an extraordinary photo as most of the time they don’t focus well up close to objects. =)
Enjoy!
Signature: -L

Dear L,
We just posted an image of an immature Big Legged Plant Bug, and we looked through our archives for a nice image of a Wheel Bug Nymph for comparison.  Your photo would have been an excellent choice, but as luck would have it, we posted the other identification request first.

Letter 60 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: Bug found on deck near pool
Location: Southwest Virginia
July 12, 2014 7:51 pm
We found this bug and what we assumed was it’s mate on the deck surrounding our pool. This bug will rare back and move it’s head to follow an object when close to it. Just wondering what it is as we have never seen one like this before.
Signature: Louis

Hi Louis,
This is an immature Wheel Bug nymph, and when it matures into an adult Wheel Bug, it will be larger, have fully functional wings capable of flight and it will have a distinctive cog-like projection on its thorax.  Handle with caution:  Wheel Bugs will bite if provoked or carelessly handled.

 

Letter 61 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What IS this?
Location: Bellefonte, PA
August 9, 2014 11:11 am
Could you please tell me what the attached picture is? It has a scorpion like tail, and is pretty small. There is a pair of hemostats in the pic for size reference. A friend found it outside his house.
Signature: Sherry

Dear Sherry,
This is a beneficial predatory Wheel Bug nymph that might bite if carelessly handled, but it is not considered a dangerous species.

Letter 62 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: could these be assasin bug nymphs?
Location: fort worth, texas
April 20, 2015 8:11 pm
I’m located in North texas and found these on my maple tree. They look to be assasin bug nymphs, but I can’t be sure.
Signature: K. Meredith

Dear K. Meredith,
These Wheel Bug hatchlings are indeed Assassin Bug nymphs.

Letter 63 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: What’s this bug?
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
May 11, 2015 8:10 pm
This hive/nest is located at a tree next to my kids bus stop. I wanted to know what type of bugs there were, if they bite and if they are dangerous. The kids are curious and I can see them trying to pick the bugs up. Thanks.
Signature: ?

These are predatory, beneficial Wheel Bug hatchlings.  The adult Wheel Bug is the largest North American Assassin Bug.

Letter 64 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Subject: What is this bug?!
Location: Groveport, ohio
August 5, 2015 2:16 pm
I found this guy on the screen of one of my 2nd story Windows. When I first saw him in the morning on Aug 5th 2015 in Ohio, he was a normal black/brown combo. Later in the day there was a 2nd bug similar to the first only smaller. It appeared that the larger of the 2 was eating the smaller. While this was going on, the larger bug turned almost a lobster red!
Signature: Jen Kelly

Dear Jen,
We believe you misunderstood what you observed.  We suspect you believe the larger Wheel Bug ate the smaller because the smaller was an empty husk, but rather than predation, we believe you observed the metamorphosis of the larger Wheel Bug and that you mistook the exuvia or shed exoskeleton for the prey.  Immediately after metamorphosis, the adult Wheel Bug is bright red, but as its new exoskeleton hardens, it darkens to a gray color.  Wheel Bugs are the largest North American Assassin Bugs, and they have mouths designed to pierce and suck body fluids from the prey.  Though bites to humans are not common, we have gotten reports and we always caution that careless handling might result in a bite.  Wheel Bugs are not considered dangerous to humans, though there are related Assassin Bugs, the Blood Sucking Conenose Bugs, that are known vectors for the spread of Chagas Disease.

Letter 65 – Wheel Bug Carnage

 

Subject: Large bug in suburbs
Location: Orefield Pennsylvania
October 11, 2015 4:02 pm
Hi,
My husband and I just purchased a home in Orefield Pennsylvania right outside of Allentown Pennsylvania. About two weeks ago our son was playing in our player outside and I saw a very large bug crawling on his back I’ve never seen anything like it and it scared us. I then found the same bug along our screen door and the next day it had jumped on my mothers arm outside our screen door today the same kind of bug was sitting on top Of our screen door. We have an inground pool we live by a tree line in a very large neighborhood which sits along side of the forest. I grew up in this area and I’ve never seen anything like it. Would you be able to let us know what this is? thank you so much
Signature: The Claytons

Dear Claytons,
This is a predatory Wheel Bug, and though one is quite capable of biting a human if it is handled carelessly, they are not aggressive and they are not considered dangerous.  We hope you learn to co-exist with this beneficial predator because it sounds like you have a healthy population in your vicinity.  One of our missions is to try to educate the public on the interconnectivity of creatures on our planet and to encourage tolerance of the lower beasts.  This poor Wheel Bug looks like it met an untimely death, which we consider Unnecessary Carnage.

Letter 66 – Wheel Bug NOT Kissing Bug

 

Subject: Is this a kissing bug?
Location: Southern New Jersey
November 26, 2015 6:07 am
My husband found this in our bedroom closet in New Jersey. Is it a kissing bug? Our recent travels have included Texas and Florida. I am afraid it may have hitched a ride back with us.
Signature: Don’t Want to Be Kissed By a Bug

This is a Wheel Bug, not a Kissing Bug.  We are quite curious why there is suddenly so much curiosity and concern about Kissing Bugs as we have been receiving numerous Kissing Bug queries daily for the past week.

Thank you so much for your quick response! There have been many articles on Facebook lately about the kissing bug carrying Chagas disease. Maybe that is why? It certainly was for me.:)

Letter 67 – Wheel Bug, NOT Kissing Bug

 

Subject: Is this a “kissing bug”
Location: Greenville, South Carolina
November 28, 2015 3:59 pm
Hello, there has been an arising awareness of these bugs called kissing bugs. I found this in my backyard and wanting to identify it.
Signature: Chelsey

Dear Chelsey,
This is a beneficial predatory Wheel Bug, not a Kissing Bug.

Letter 68 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Subject: Wheel bug nymph hatching in November?
Location: Dacula, GA.
January 24, 2016 9:00 am
Hey there! Thanks to your awesome website here, I was able to identify a wheel bug “clutch” of eggs hatching in my kitchen attached to the inside of my window screen. This late November(2015) I started noticing these small ant like bugs with big red butts crawling on my window sill and counter tops. It wasn’t hard to find where they were coming from as there we’re still SEVERAL hatching from the nest and were hanging out in a cluster on the nest. So my question is, after all the research I’ve done on them(most you supplied), aren’t these guys supposed to hatch in early to mid spring? I live in central northern GA. US, and our fall was mild and warm(70-80° on most days). With the warm humid temps, along with them being indoors, is it possible that it was the perfect environment to hatch early? I guess what I’m really curious about is how common this occurs to wheel bug nymphs. We live on acerage and our house backs up to woods, so I’ve seen my fair share of weird bugs in my house. I have a rule for all these weird bugs- Their home is outside, mine is inside. If you are in my house and look suspicious, you will unfortunatley meet your untimley death. I understand that wheel bugs are huge helpers outside. However, with small children and pets, and no way to safely remove the nest, I had to spray them. The picture I’m submitting is after I sprayed them. I just couldn’t risk them stinging us. Anyway, thanks for any info you can give me!
Signature: Merideth

Dear Meridith,
You are correct that these are Wheel Bug Eggs and you are also correct regarding the early hatching.  We suspect that both the mild weather and the location affected by indoor warmth were factors in the early hatching.  It is also fair to presume that similar conditions would result in a similar outcome in the future.  We understand your reservations with young children.

Letter 69 – Wheel Bug Hatchlings

 

Subject: bugs in oak tree
Location: Jonesville, South Carolina
March 19, 2016 1:46 pm
These bugs were seen on the bottom of an oak tree limb about 7′ from the ground near Jonesville, South Carolina on a 70 degree day in March. It looks an entire family at different stages of growth.
Signature: Kenny

Dear Kenny,
This is a group of Wheel Bug hatchlings.  The two that are bright orange may have just molted, and they will eventually darken in color.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial predators that will help keep your oak tree free of pestiferous species of insects.

Letter 70 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What’s this bug?
Location: Atlanta (wooded area)
December 1, 2016 3:15 pm
I found this super scary bug on my car during the summer. I haven’t seen one since and it still bothers me that I don’t know what it is. I’m terrified of bugs and I was too afraid to kill it.
Can you help distinguish what kind it is?
Thanks!
Signature: Cass

Dear Cass,
This is an immature Wheel Bug, a species of beneficial Assassin Bug.  While they might bite a person if carelessly handled, Wheel Bugs are not aggressive towards humans and a bite, while potentially painful, is not considered dangerous.  Adult Wheel Bugs are much more formidable looking than the considerably smaller nymphs.

Letter 71 – Wheel Bug Nymph

 

Subject: What insect is this?
Location: Leander, TX
April 13, 2017 9:37 am
Found on old fence.
Signature: Steve

Dear Steve,
This is a beneficial, predatory Wheel Bug nymph.  While they are beneficial, they should be handled with caution as they might bite.

Letter 72 – Wheel Bug Molting

 

Subject: Very strange
Location: 17022
May 22, 2017 7:28 am
This was actually from two years ago but the spring time has me wondering whats in store for this year. I found this on my car. I do have a lot of trees and ornamental landscaping. Its freaky and having two young kids its scary. Any ideas? Cell phone pics arent the best, sorry.
Signature: Matt

Dear Matt,
You have captured images of a Wheel Bug molting.  The black part is the cast off exoskeleton and the orange insect is freshly emerged and it will soon darken.  Wheel Bugs are beneficial, predatory Assassin Bugs that should be handled with caution as they might bite.  Your Wheel Bug is still a nymph.  Adults are winged.

Letter 73 – Wheel Bug Eggs

 

Subject:  What kind of “nest” might this be?
Geographic location of the bug:  Eastern shore of maryland
Date: 04/29/2018
Time: 01:22 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Could you help identify if this is an insect or bees nest?  It’s fairly small.  Less than an inch long and less than a half inch wide.
Thanks!
How you want your letter signed:  Bobbie

Dear Bobbie,
These sure look like Wheel Bug Eggs and here is a BugGuide image for comparison.  This is the time of year we begin to get identification requests for hatchling Wheel Bugs.  Wheel Bugs are predatory Assassin Bugs that are beneficial in the home garden.

Letter 74 – Wheel Bug looks Prehistoric

 

Subject:  Dinosaur bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Fort Worth, TX
Date: 05/09/2018
Time: 06:34 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  This bug was seen a couple years ago.  It’s on a reed over a small backyard pond.  I have no idea where to even start looking to find out what it is.  It looks prehistoric to me!
How you want your letter signed:  Thanks! Jeanne

Dear Jeanne,
Your image is gorgeous.  You are not the first person to write to us with the observation that the Wheel Bug looks prehistoric.  The Wheel Bug is the largest North American Assassin Bug.

Letter 75 – Wheel Bug Metamorphosis

 

Subject:  Trying to identify bug
Geographic location of the bug:  Lancaster, PA
Date: 07/22/2018
Time: 08:49 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Trying to idenifity this strange bug found in our friends windo.
How you want your letter signed:  I’m not sure

Your friend was lucky enough to witness and document the metamorphosis of a Wheel Bug, a beneficial, predatory Assassin Bug.  The orange insect is newly emerged from the dark gray sloughed off exoskeleton of the nymph, and it is now a winged adult.  Soon its new exoskeleton will harden and it will darken to its adult coloration.  Wheel Bugs are impressive insects.

Letter 76 – Wheel Bug in Ohio

 

Subject:  Strange bug in Ohio
Geographic location of the bug:  Morrow, OH
Date: 04/25/2019
Time: 05:10 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I saw this sitting on my closed garage door. Have never seen anything like it. Have you an identity for it?
How you want your letter signed:  Jim Kightlinger

Dear Jim,
This is an adult Wheel Bug, the largest North American Assassin Bug, and this is not a rare insect in the eastern part of the continent, however this April sighting is quite unusual.  We generally get images of adult Wheel Bugs much later in the year, especially in northern states, and this is the time of year we expect to get reports of hatchling Wheel Bugs.

Update:  Hi Daniel – Thanks for the ID of the Assassin bug. I should have mentioned that the photo was not current. The picture was taken 10/6/2018 so being an adult was perfectly right for that time of year. Ugly little bugger though. I left him alone to do whatever ugly bugs do.
Thanks again – Jim Kightlinger

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.

Reader Emails

Over the years, our website, whatsthatbug.com has received hundreds of letters and some interesting images asking us about these insects. Scroll down to have a look at some of them.