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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Wheel Bug bites woman in North Carolina

On · Category: Assassin Bugs · Add Comment

Subject:  got stung by this bug
Geographic location of the bug:  southeastern coast of NC
Date: 06/16/2019
Time: 06:34 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I believe I got stung by this insect. I had left my drink on a fence post outside when I got it back and was holding it felt a severe burn iui n sting and only got a short glimpse of the insect I saw this guy on my front porch yesterday and was sure this met the color and size(pretty big) of the culprit. My sting is still slightly swollen painful and itchy after a week.Do these guys sting?
How you want your letter signed:  Melba

Wheel Bug

Dear Melba,
Wheel Bugs do not sting, however we frequently caution our readers to handle Wheel Bugs with caution as they might bite, though unlike other Assassin Bugs, we rarely get reports of actual bites from Wheel Bugs.  Though the bite of a Wheel Bug is not considered dangerous, the local effects of a reportedly painful bite might last some time.

Related posts:

Wheel Bug Hatchlings Assassin Bug Wheel Bug Nymph Immature Wheel Bug
What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Nymphs

On · Category: Stink Bugs and Shield Bugs · Add Comment

Subject:  Beetle from my mulberry tree
Geographic location of the bug:  Midwest Missouri
Date: 06/16/2019
Time: 06:39 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  We located a mulberry tree on our property and went to pick the berries. Came across a BUNCH of these little beetles. Looks like the adults are smaller than an eraser on a pencil. On the underside of several leaves we saw white eggs woven together like honeycomb…one of the leaves had hatched beetles alongside the empty eggs. These babies looked the same as the adults but much smaller, the size of a pinhead.
How you want your letter signed:  The Country Bumpkin

Stink Bug Nymph

Dear Country Bumpkin,
These are NOT Beetles.  They are Stink Bug nymphs, but we are not certain of the species.   Based on this BugGuide image they might be Brown Marmorated Stink Bug nymphs, an Invasive Exotic species, or they might be Green Stink Bug nymphs, based on this BugGuide image, or they might be a different species entirely.  Nymphs can be very difficult to identify with certainty.

Possibly Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Hatchlings

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Immature Wheel Bug

On · Category: Assassin Bugs · Add Comment

Subject:  What’s this bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Upstate South Carolina, USA
Date: 06/11/2019
Time: 09:55 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hello, I normally use iNaturalist to identify the organisms I find, but this time it is completely wrong. It is identifying this insect as a black widow but it clearly has 6 legs and is red with black dots, not black with red spots. Please can you help me identify this bug.
How you want your letter signed:  Thanks, Brandi

Wheel Bug Nymph

Dear Brandi,
This is most certainly NOT a Black Widow.  This is a Wheel Bug nymph, and nymphs as well as adult Wheel Bugs are among our most common spring through fall identification requests from the eastern parts of North America.  Though they are not dangerous, Wheel Bugs should be handled with caution as they might deliver a painful bite.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Big Legged Bug from Honduras

On · Category: Leaf Footed Bugs · 2 Comments

Subject:  Kissing Bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Honduras
Date: 06/13/2019
Time: 12:07 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  I have tried to identify this insect, most of the evidence suggests its some kind of Triatoma, but its hind legs are very thick.
How you want your letter signed:  Mr tropics

Big Legged Bug

Dear Mr tropics,
This is a Big Legged Bug in the family Coreidae, probably in the genus Acanthocephala, not a Kissing Bug.  The Big Legged Bug poses no threat to humans.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Immature True Bugs from South Africa might be Cotton Stainers

On · Category: Red Bugs · Add Comment

Subject:  Red nymphs clustered? Which bug?
Geographic location of the bug:  Waterberg, Limpopo, South Africa
Date: 06/13/2019
Time: 05:32 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Hi there, we found this insects in our reserve at Lapalala Wilderness and would like to know which species to add it to our newsletter. However, we seem to struggle to find out and receive contradicting answers from different people. Maybe you can help?
How you want your letter signed:  Anne

Probably Immature Cotton Stainers

Dear Anne,
These are immature True Bugs and nymphs can be very difficult to identify with certainty.  We believe these are immature Cotton Stainers in the family Pyrrhocoridae, but since there are no adults present, we cannot be certain.  Members of the family are sometimes called Red Bugs.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Wheel Bug Nymph

On · Category: Assassin Bugs · Add Comment

Subject:  Blue legs?
Geographic location of the bug:  Chattanooga TN Riverwalk Park
Date: 06/11/2019
Time: 09:57 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Looks super cool and walks kinda like a praying mantis caught the pic while it was eating lunch. Making sure it’s not dangerous as it is by a playground
How you want your letter signed:  Rosh

Wheel Bug Nymph

Dear Rosh,
This is a Wheel Bug nymph, and like many Assassin Bugs, it might bite if carelessly handled, but unlike some Assassin Bugs, namely the Kissing Bugs, the bite of a Wheel Bug, though painful, is not considered dangerous.

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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination