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
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.