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North American Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus)
Photo#11550
Copyright © 2005
Bob Patterson
Sail-back Dinosaur Bug (Wheel Bug) -
Arilus cristatus
Bowie, Prince George's County, Maryland, USA
August 19, 2004
Crawled around on sheet by black light without pestering my moths, reminds me of a reconstructed fossil from 100 million years ago.
Contributed by
Bob Patterson
on 18 February, 2005 - 6:04pm
Dino Bug
One of these flew into the bush by my door today as I was painting my house. I thought it was a wasp, so I went to investigate and saw this crazy looking thing instead. Having never saw such a strange insect before, I had to look it up. It's certainly a neat little thing isn't it?
…
Rivin
, 16 September, 2012 - 6:35pm
Dino bug
I was taking a walk in Central Illinois today when I saw one of these wheel bugs on a plant. My finger was really close to it and it raised up like it was going to bite me. I pulled back because I knew I had read something about this bug before but couldn't remember what. Got home and looked it up and found out that the bite is really painful. Glad I didn't pick it up!
…
inky5
, 20 October, 2012 - 8:33pm
INDIANAPOLIS, IN
Found one of these criters in Carmel, Indiana. Is this bug suppose to be this far west and north. Does it create some type of Ecological in-balance.
…
judeski
, 2 November, 2011 - 1:17pm
Hi. The Data Map
shows all the places this bug has been photographed for BugGuide. You can see it
here
. It is part of the natural ecosystem of the area.
…
Lynette Elliott
, 2 November, 2011 - 3:20pm
Wheel Bug
This one crawled on me in my house, manage to catch it in a clear dish.
Nashville, GA
…
venluckey
, 31 October, 2010 - 1:38am
Sail Back Dinosaur Bug in Missouri
Recently I captured one of these crazy looking bugs in my house, everything I read they don't belong in the mid-west. I guess he traveled with a recent package I recieved from NC.
…
kathy crandall
, 14 November, 2009 - 6:22pm
Wheel Bug Bite
It is correct, much more painful than Bee sting, I was bitten between shoulder blades, no effects from bite. Did not put anything on the bite area, seems to have gone away, I was bitten on 11-09-05.
I was bitten while doing yard work in Kernersville N.C.
…
popec
, 26 November, 2005 - 7:42am
stinky too?
Do these guys come with a pungeant nasty little aroma too? We have tons of these beetles we often call "pine beetles" look very similar and man do they stink - and they sound like a hummingbird when they fly.
…
Ian Merwin
, 11 November, 2005 - 4:17pm
regarding the spray
this bug landed on my waist while i was relaxing with friends on a front porch in Macon, GA. It DOES dound like a hummingbird, it did not bite me, but when my friend scooped it off of me it sprayed his hand....resulting in a not too pleasant smell, but after I smelled the spray, I had an allergic reaction, and my entire body was COVERED in hives for 2 days before a trip to the emergency room for a shot of epiniephrine (sp?)....i thought it appropriate that these bugs are also known as "assasin" bugs...
…
kmac3266
, 30 August, 2008 - 7:30pm
No
I've seen many and none have ever smelled. Also, I'm pretty sure that these aren't found in MT....having lived there many years. I know the pine beetle that we talk about in MT is more like this...
. They do sound somewhat alike, though.
…
Lynette Elliott
, 11 November, 2005 - 4:36pm
Circular Saw Bug :)
Never heard the sail-back dinosaur name before. I think it should be called the circular saw bug.
…
Lynette Elliott
, 19 February, 2005 - 5:57pm
Wheel bug
Respectable portrait of a wheel bug, Arilus cristatus, in the assassin bug family Reduviidae. Welcome, Bob, we look forward to more of your contributions:-) Please post a link to your website somewhere so we can visit that also.
…
Eric R. Eaton
, 18 February, 2005 - 6:16pm
Wheel Bug
Wheel Bug
--Arilus cristatus. Very distinctive. They have a nasty bite, I understand.
Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina
…
Cotinis
, 18 February, 2005 - 6:14pm