Wheel Bug Egg Mass
Scientific Name: Arilus cristatus
Order & Family: Hemiptera: Reduviidae
Size: Egg clusters are typically 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) wide, containing 10-160 hexagonal eggs

Natural Habitat
Gardens, orchards, and woodlands, often found on tree trunks, fence posts, or wooden structures
Diet & Feeding
As adults and nymphs, they are predatory, feeding on caterpillars, beetles, and other soft-bodied insects using a piercing-sucking proboscis
Behavior Patterns
Eggs are laid in late autumn and overwinter before hatching in the spring. Once hatched, they undergo incomplete metamorphosis with five nymphal stages before reaching adulthood
Risks & Benefits
Benefits: Highly beneficial as natural pest control in gardens. Risks: While not aggressive, they can deliver a very painful bite if handled, described as worse than a hornet sting
Identified on: 4/12/2026