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wheel bug

American

noun

an assassin bug, Arilus cristatus, that has a toothed, semicircular crest on the pronotum and preys on other insects.

wheel bug British

noun

a large predatory North American heteropterous insect, Arilus cristatus, having a semicircular thoracic projection: family Reduviidae (assassin bugs)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of wheel bug

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

wheel bug

Other cool eggs you might encounter are the eggs of the wheel bug or assassin bug.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 20, 2023

The wheel bug, the largest of the assassin bugs, looks like it comes right out of a horror movie; however, it's a highly beneficial insect.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2021

A few years ago, I made the mistake of rolling up a car window with a wheel bug stuck in it, and got stung, which was quite painful for weeks.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2021

Now, I stay at a safe distance when I see a wheel bug and I think of all the bad guys this creature keeps at bay.

From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023