Benefits With a Bite

It's that time of year when I wander through the garden, lifting leaves and pulling back plants to inspect them. I observe the fruits setting, the various bees and wasps visiting, and I look out for pest insects and predatory friends. One specific garden friend I make sure not to touch is the wheel bug (Arilus cristatus).

Wheel bugs are a welcome guest in gardens, flower beds, and around your property. These wonderful insects are known as generalist predators (Johnson, 2022), meaning they hunt a wide variety of other organisms. This diverse diet makes them valuable in our yards. They consume caterpillars, beetles, sawfly larvae, aphids, stink bugs, and many others. They also prey on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). Although they occasionally eat bees and wasps, they primarily consume more pests than beneficial insects.

While wheel bugs are beneficial, you should handle them with care. Although I have never been bitten, I have spoken to many people who have. They describe the initial bite as similar to a bee or wasp sting, but the worst part is a terrible burning sensation that can last for hours or even into the next day.