Wheel Bugs - one of the good guys

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Wheel Bug nymph
photo from Whats That Bug
You may be innocent of this but from time to time, I have been so frustrated with damage in my garden that I kill insects. 

Learning to identify the helpful ones reduces senseless carnage and increases the possibility of having insects do some of our work for us.

This practice also restores the garden's environment to one with healthy plants and soil in the process.

Wheel Bugs, rilus cristatus, can look like a lot of other insects if we don't recognize their nymph and adult forms.
Related to stink bugs, water striders and bed bugs, wheel bugs buzz when flying, pierce their victims when caught, and exude a scent. They are easily confused with squash bugs by frustrated gardeners.


From the Soil blog has great photos of the molting process. The photo below is from their 2011 entry.

Adult Wheel Bug


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