Assassin Bug Nymph
June 11, 2010Jun 11
Somewhere I’d heard that bright red bugs should be avoided at all costs, promising serious pain from bites or stings. In the case of the Cow Killer wasp this was definitely true so when I happened upon another vividly colored red and black bug in my Black Eyed Susans I kept a safe distance.
I’d been spraying the Black Eyed Susans with my homemade antifungal for rose bushes as my budding flowers were battling both fungus and Japanese Beetles and I feared that they’d never get to the flowering stage. A teaspoon of baking soda in a quart of water with a few drops of liquid dish soap is reputed to be effective against the blackspot rose fungus. I didn’t know if it would help my Black Eyed Susans but it was worth a try.
About halfway through the row I spotted a brightly colored black and red bug that looked like a spider. Even without the bright red color spiders are scary if you don’t recognize them so the bug caught me off guard. On closer inspection I counted six legs, not the eight legs of a spider, with the additional pair of legs being long antennae. I figured it was probably just some common beetle but it was interesting so I grabbed my Sony Cybershot camera figuring at the least he’d be colorful on a t-shirt.
He wasn’t as easy to find on the internet as the Saddleback Caterpillar had been and I went through hundreds of webpages before I had absolute identification from a scientific website.
My red and black spiderlike bug turned out to be the nymph of the Arilus cristatus, commonly known as the Wheel Bug or Assassin Bug. In the adult stage he would sport a cogged half wheel on his back giving him the name of Wheel Bug and he’d be a non-descript greyish brown color. I probably wouldn’t have given him a second look had he reached maturity.
This particular variety of Assassin Bug feeds on many of the bad bugs that I’d been battling such as aphids and Japanese Beetles. The Assassin Bug injects enzymes into its prey which paralyzes and kills the prey within seconds. He then sucks out the juices for his tasty bug meal. Wheel Bugs are considered beneficial garden bugs as they prey on bugs that are usually considered pests such as caterpillars, aphids, sawflies, immature locusts and other soft-bodied bugs.
Their favorite hunting grounds include trees and daisy type flowers such as my Black Eyed Susans and they can be found from New York to Florida, throughtout the Midwest, and as far west as California. In other words you can find them throughout most of the continental U.S. except in the far north and northwestern states.
Nymphs such as the one I discovered hatch in the spring and go through several periods of molting as they grow into adulthood. They can be vicious predators, sometimes attacking each other. After mating the female may decide to feed on the male much like a black widow spider.
The Assassin Bug emits a foul smell if disturbed much like the Stink Bug but not quite as strong. My Assassin Bug must not have felt threatened though he did rear up when I got too close with the camera. They are also reputed to produce chirping sounds. While these facts were interesting, what put this particular bug on my radar was the uniqueness of the eggs and the fact that yes, this was another bright red bug with a very painful bite.
I’d seen pictures of Wheel Bug eggs on Paul James’ television show “Gardening by the Yard” and the egg colonies are fascinating, looking like a group of nails driven into a tree or a honeycombed beehive. From the side they are elongated brown tubes and are sometimes described as little brown bottles with fancy white stoppers. Egg clusters are found on trees, shrubs and other objects within four feet of the ground.
The other point of interest was the bite. While Assassin Bugs are not aggressive toward humans they will definitely bite if threatened and my fear of bright red bugs was not without merit because the bite is reputed to be quite nasty with pain much worse than a hornet sting. The area may go numb for several days and be hot to the touch, later turning white. Healing can take weeks or months depending on the bite victim’s personal sensitivities.
Home remedies for Assassin Bug bites include ammonia water, magnesium sulfate and virtually any remedy used for fire ant stings with best results if treated immediately after being bitten. Menthol, camphor and phenol may also provide relief.
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Category: Wild Kingdom
You've entered the inner realm of author Sharon Delarose, the strange girl who lives down the street. Frolic with the dogs, encounter strange and bizarre bugs, hop a ride on a UFO, get your good feelie oats on, and laugh a little. Welcome all y'all!
