The Wheelbug: Nature's Little Psychopath

What do you call an adolescent with no fear, a snoot-full of flesh-liquefying toxin, and a penchant for kung-fu posing? Why, a third instar Wheelbug, of course.

I took these with the trusty DC4800 at a newspaper recycling center in eastern Madison County, AL. I thought it was an unusual praying mantis(?!), and brainlessly moved in for some close-up shots.

Later, I posted these pictures to the WWW and groups such as sci.bio.entomology.misc and asked for some ID help. Some minutes later, the reply came, with the warning THIS BUG CAN KICK YOUR ASS in Big Friendly Letters. The consensus was that I had stumbled across an immature Wheelbug (Arilus cristatus L.), a type of Assassin Bug.

Most experts call the Wheelbug a beneficial insect thanks to its appetite for destruction of pests. The big red sharp beak serves a dual purpose: (1) to deliver a powerful toxin that liquefies the victim's innards, and (2) to serve as a drinking straw to extract the contents after (1). Its bite is painful, but rarely fatal to humans. Lovely.

Like other Assassin Bugs, the Wheelbug undergoes incomplete metamorphosis. Thanks to those who helped me ID this beast. The University of Georgia and University of Florida have more information.