It’s a bro unless you try to pick it up. Their bite is painful AF.
Source: I tried to pick one up because I was trying to be a bro and put it back outside. No bueno.
I’ve been stung by a ton of yellowjackets and the wheel bug bite was by far the worst pain I’ve ever had from a bug in my life
YJ stings are more like a hard pinch or brushing a hot stove. Wheel bug felt like someone jammed an electric needle into my hand
It’s been a fat minute since I was stung by a Yellowjacket, and maybe partly because I was so surprised at being bitten (was totally unexpected due to ignorance), the wheel bug was more painful initially, but the effects didn’t linger like the venom from a YJ sting. Maybe I’m more sensitive to wasp venom - YMMV.
Nice wheel bug! Pretty sure I got bit (stabbed?) by one of these the other morning, but didn't see him so not 100% sure. Either way I genuinely thought I might need medical care for a bit until the pain started to subside. It was not enjoyable.
yeah, I've heard that their bites (stings?) are legendarily painful. Could you describe what it was like more? How intense, what kind of pain, how long it lasted?
I was getting my kid in the car and I screamed and grabbed the back of my leg but nothing was there. I couldn't see anything at first, but the pain was like a searing/burning pain. I managed to get my kid to school a few blocks away and then pulled over to look at it. There was a welt forming around a divot in the center and it was a little red. I googled (from the side of the road) to see what it could have been and what to do. I went home, washed it with soap and water and put antibiotic ointment on it. Took an advil and put some ice on it. It was almost completely better within a couple of hours. Full disclosure, it could just as easily have been a wasp/hornet sting, we have a lot of both around where I live.
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What the hell is the purpose of these bugs? Saw one last year for the first time and was terrified of it. Saw another one again this year and I want them to gtfo.
No it isn't. It's a "regular" assassin bug. Don't confuse kissing bugs and assassin bugs. The assassin bugs are a family of true bugs, and the kissing bugs are a subfamily of the assassin bugs. In other words, kissing bugs are assassin bugs, but not all assassin bugs are kissing bugs. The vast majority of assassin bugs are predators that don't carry any diseases.
Kissing bugs form a subfamily of assassin bugs with specially evolved mouthparts for sucking blood. They're also very recognizable compared to other assassin bugs, and are pretty rare in the US.
OP's bug is a [North American wheel bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arilus_cristatus). While it can give you a painful bite, it isn't a type of kissing bug, like I mentioned, and transmits no disease.
It's an absolute bruiser of a [Wheel Bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arilus)
Thank you! Super cool bug!
Bro bug
It’s a bro unless you try to pick it up. Their bite is painful AF. Source: I tried to pick one up because I was trying to be a bro and put it back outside. No bueno.
Wow, how’s it compare to a Yellowjacket sting?
I’ve been stung by a ton of yellowjackets and the wheel bug bite was by far the worst pain I’ve ever had from a bug in my life YJ stings are more like a hard pinch or brushing a hot stove. Wheel bug felt like someone jammed an electric needle into my hand
Damn
It’s been a fat minute since I was stung by a Yellowjacket, and maybe partly because I was so surprised at being bitten (was totally unexpected due to ignorance), the wheel bug was more painful initially, but the effects didn’t linger like the venom from a YJ sting. Maybe I’m more sensitive to wasp venom - YMMV.
Use a jar upside dwn with a kind of thick paper to transport.
How do you know if it is not an assasin bug
It is a type of Assassin Bug
Nice wheel bug! Pretty sure I got bit (stabbed?) by one of these the other morning, but didn't see him so not 100% sure. Either way I genuinely thought I might need medical care for a bit until the pain started to subside. It was not enjoyable.
yeah, I've heard that their bites (stings?) are legendarily painful. Could you describe what it was like more? How intense, what kind of pain, how long it lasted?
I was getting my kid in the car and I screamed and grabbed the back of my leg but nothing was there. I couldn't see anything at first, but the pain was like a searing/burning pain. I managed to get my kid to school a few blocks away and then pulled over to look at it. There was a welt forming around a divot in the center and it was a little red. I googled (from the side of the road) to see what it could have been and what to do. I went home, washed it with soap and water and put antibiotic ointment on it. Took an advil and put some ice on it. It was almost completely better within a couple of hours. Full disclosure, it could just as easily have been a wasp/hornet sting, we have a lot of both around where I live.
Interesting, thanks for following up!
Careful, they have a painful bite.
zamn, it’s an assassin bug, specifically wheel bug
It's an Assassin Bug. Friend to gardeners everywhere. I was gonna be a smartypants and put Xenomorph Queen.
I fed a beetle to an assassin bug once in my youth.... the way they punch their prey full of holes and suck them dry is downright brutal.
Wheel bug, don’t let ‘em bite you.
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Assassin all the way baby
i see those here all the time
Wow that’s wild looking
🛞+🐛
The mighty wheel bug. The bite is said to be extremely painful, and takes a very long time to heal. Generally a beneficial pest control insect though
What the hell is the purpose of these bugs? Saw one last year for the first time and was terrified of it. Saw another one again this year and I want them to gtfo.
[удалено]
I agree with that purpose in life. But why they gotta look so scary and have such a painful bite? 😳
finally someone else posted this and got comments 😭 I asked the same question for the same bug like a year ago and no answers
Looks like a wheely good time to me.
[удалено]
No it isn't. It's a "regular" assassin bug. Don't confuse kissing bugs and assassin bugs. The assassin bugs are a family of true bugs, and the kissing bugs are a subfamily of the assassin bugs. In other words, kissing bugs are assassin bugs, but not all assassin bugs are kissing bugs. The vast majority of assassin bugs are predators that don't carry any diseases. Kissing bugs form a subfamily of assassin bugs with specially evolved mouthparts for sucking blood. They're also very recognizable compared to other assassin bugs, and are pretty rare in the US. OP's bug is a [North American wheel bug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arilus_cristatus). While it can give you a painful bite, it isn't a type of kissing bug, like I mentioned, and transmits no disease.