5. WHEEL BUG
(_Arilus cristatus_)
[Illustration: (unlabelled)]
Identification. _Arilus cristatus_ has the small narrow head
characteristic of the Reduviidae family of Hemiptera (true bugs). This
insect is mouse gray in color and approximately 2.5 to 4 cm (1-1.6 in)
long. A cogwheel-like crest on the dorsal side of the prothorax is
distinctive to this insect and accounts for its popular name, “wheel
bug.”
Distribution. Wheel bugs are generally found in the southern two-thirds
of the United States.
Biology/Behavior. Wheel bugs are predacious on soft-bodied insects.
Human envenomizations are usually the result of accidental contact while
handling vegetation, boards, or other objects. The bug penetrates the
skin with its “beak,” or proboscis, and injects a salivary fluid
normally used in killing its insect prey.[31]
Avoidance/Control. The best way to prevent wheel bug contact is to be
able to identify this unusual insect and avoid it. Children should be
instructed not to handle it. Wearing leather gloves while working
outside will prevent bites which occur when the wheel bug is
accidentally picked up with vegetation or other debris. Since wheel bugs
are predacious on many harmful insects and are generally considered
beneficial, control is not recommended.
Envenomization Reaction/Treatment. Wheel bug bites are characterized by
immediate intense pain which usually subsides in 3 to 6 hours. Since all
reported bite reactions have been localized and self-limiting, specific
treatment measures are not provided for _A. cristatus_ bites. However,
anaphylactic shock has resulted from the bite of other Hemiptera and
should be considered a possibility with wheel bug bites.[12]