Summary ⁷

The wheel bug (Arilus cristatus), in the family Reduviidae, is one of the largest terrestrial true bugs in North America, being up to 1.5 inches (38 mm) in length. A characteristic structure is the wheel-shaped pronotal armor. They are predators upon soft-bodied insects such as caterpillars, Japanese beetles, etc., which they pierce with their beak to inject salivary fluids that dissolve soft tissue. Because most of their prey are pests, wheel bugs are considered beneficial insects, although...

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/42264328@N00/3044551839
2. (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3207/3044551477_968c899593_o.jpg
3. (c) Lisa Brown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3057/2994116838_c143095288_o.jpg
4. (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3043/3044551839_0598b0b225_o.jpg
5. (c) gaberlunzi, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://lh3.ggpht.com/-MVrT6uDDdrE/ULqPmzu99HI/AAAAAAAALlM/s8rjgTefcmk/20121201_31.JPG
6. (c) L. K. Holt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7136/6876996554_f1033798c7_b.jpg
7. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arilus_cristatus

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• CalPhotos
• Catalogue of Palaearctic Heteroptera
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0

Range Map

(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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