Wheel Bug

Found in wooded areas, orchards, and gardens, often on tree trunks and shrubs.

Carnivorous predator feeding on caterpillars, beetles, and other soft-bodied insects using a piercing proboscis.

Solitary ambush predator named for the distinctive gear-like crest on its thorax. Overwinters as eggs laid in clustered deposits on tree bark.

Beneficial as a natural pest controller in gardens, but can deliver a painful defensive bite to humans if handled.