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Project Noah Nature School
Arilus cristatus
2 inches long
Oklahoma late September sunny day
We had an outbreak of these wheel bugs. 30-40 of them could be seen crawling around in front of a strip mall. They move slowly and cumbersome almost with a swagger.
Here's a link to the article I mentioned for convenience.
http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/tree...
You're welcome. Glad I could help. I've never come across one myself unfortunately. I hope to though, RI is in their range. There is a link in 2nd BugGuide link that I sent with an interesting article about them. The article says that the bite is worse than a hornet sting and can take weeks, or even months to fully heal. Ouch!
There were about 20-30 of them in front of this store a few weeks ago. I don't know if they were mating or what but they won't move even if you poke at them with a broom.
Thank you! These assassin bugs have a swagger to them, I've learned that swagger in the bug kingdom is definitely not an just ego problem.
Welcome to Project Noah BTW. Although I'm sure a Ranger will do that soon. If you add the scientific name to your spottings they can be added to the database. The FAQ at the bottom of the page will explain what a Ranger is and many other things about PN. Enjoy!
It's a 'scent sac'. It's a defensive mechanism that expels a foul smelling scent through it's anus. Also, be careful if you handle one of as they can deliver a very painful bite. A couple more links for your edification
http://bugguide.net/node/view/701135/bgi...
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_bug...
Spotted on Sep 29, 2013
Submitted on Sep 30, 2013
