Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus)

December 02, 2010

Getting ready to put my flower pots away for winter, I spotted a strange looking brownish, blackish bug with a cog-like gear on its back sitting on the rim of my flower pot. I tried to coax it onto a stick so I could get a better look at it, and remove it from the flower pot. "Creepy bug", I thought. Checking out the book, National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders at MCPL, I found that it is a predator bug that feeds on caterpillars, Japanese beetle larvae, and other insects. The book called it a handsome predator, I beg to differ.

Researching it further, I found that the bite is painful and may take months to heal, sometimes leaving a small scar! Ouch, I think I’ll leave this true bug (as it’s called) alone!

Colleen J.
Raytown Branch