Wait - I caught a WHAT?

Ever have to deal with some sort of critter that seemed harmless enough, only to later look it up in a book or online and realize this thing could have been a lot more trouble than you thought?

Yesterday, we had something that looked sort of like a big stink bug in the warehouse. (Although come to think of it, that thing also looked like they may have based the bugs in Starship Troopers on it.) Not wanting to get stinkbug stink all over the place, I scooped it up with a sheet of paper and released it outside.

Then I looked up what it was. Turns out it's a wheel bug.

The notes on that turned out to be a bit alarming - it's the largest species of assassin bug. And its bite can be painful enough that one exterminator who's also been bitten by a rattlesnake claims being bitten by a wheel bug hurt more.

Next time, I'm just smacking it with a shoe.

Any of you guys had a similar story?

This is one really strong argument for living in a place that freezes for a few months each year.

The cold puts a damper on this kind of stuff (including scorpions, yuck).

Time to move DIYAutotune to Missouri! I can even help you move and find shop space.

We have wheel bugs in pa. I'm afraid cold doesnt stop them...

I've never even heard of those things. Yikes.

Robbie wrote: This is one really strong argument for living in a place that freezes for a few months each year. The cold puts a damper on this kind of stuff (including scorpions, yuck).

Cold just turns humans into the scary things. And they have cars. Getting hit sucks more than getting bit.

wvumtnbkr wrote: We have wheel bugs in pa. I'm afraid cold doesnt stop them...

Yup I see a few a year where I am in pa. I've never been bit but heard exactly what op read. I just thank god we dont have the fire ants and scorpions and most of the bad spiders here. Haha

nepa03focus wrote:

wvumtnbkr wrote: We have wheel bugs in pa. I'm afraid cold doesnt stop them...

Yup I see a few a year where I am in pa. I've never been bit but heard exactly what op read. I just thank god we dont have the fire ants and scorpions and most of the bad spiders here. Haha

Lovely, never even knew these things existed until this morning and now every time I see a stink bug I'll wonder if its one of them.

i always just figured it was a mutated or life cycle of the stink bug, i see them every few months in Maryland, I'm lucky to have not been bit as I've handled a few.

Edit: Whoops a wheel bug is not like a kissing bug, no chagas disease danger.

Furious_E wrote: Lovely, never even knew these things existed until this morning and now every time I see a stink bug I'll wonder if its one of them.

Just look for the big sawblade-thingy on its back.

Wow. Those things are pretty common. Just swatted one off the deck last night. Never knew they could bite like that.

Are wheelbugs forged or cast?

Funny, here in SoFla we have all kinds of nasty bugs, but have never seen anything like that. Think I would rather have fire ants and scorpions.

I see them around here in VA, usually around this time of year. I ignore them unless they're in the house, and I have yet to see one there. Don't kill them, as they are considered beneficials, and eat other bugs. Pretty cool bug, and quite formidable in the bug world.

See assassin bugs in general (no idea about wheel bug vs other varieties) all the time. So clearly cold isn't an issue for at least some assassin bugs. One bit my uncle on the top of his foot, I appeared to really hurt.

Appleseed wrote: Are wheelbugs forged or cast?

Depends on if they're real or reps. Look for the rota sticker.

We have these nasty buggers in PA too. Looks like an ant, is actually a flightless wasp, known as the Cow Killer ant. At least these have warning colors, I would never guess that Wheel Bug was dangerous.

In reply to HappyAndy:

Yep. These were all over the place when I lived in Maryland. My dad got stung by one while mowing and his ankle swelled up like crazy.

I was laying under a car working one time and glanced down at my feet just as one of these things crawled in through my laces. One fluid motion. I've never lost a shoe as fast.

Yep, velvet ants are here in Georgia too.

I've seen wheel bugs here before in Georgia but didn't know what they were called. Thanks for the warning!

last year i brought a car up from virginia and started taking it apart, my buddy and i both had been in and out of the passenger door, and i went in to get the computer out of the kick panel. i got it out and looked over and there was a black widow 2" from my face in it's nest.

it laughed at the spider killer spray. brake cleaner barely slowed it down, so i knocked it out of the web and hit it with a shoe, then lit it on fire to make sure.

We call the red & black bugs "Squeak Ants"

I have nothing to add other than last week, I pulled the upper tailgate trim off of a Caravan and a bunch of stinkbugs fell out.

The interesting part was that they all had different personalities. Some would come right up and say hi, sure I'll crawl up on this piece of cardboard, some sullenly stood there and would have none of that, and some just sort of flailed around on their backs.