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.

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

From Washington Post

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

It has been reported that some homegrown organisms,, like the yellow garden spider, some species of preying mantis and the wheel bug, Arilus cristatus, are now adapting to preying on the invaders.

From New York Times

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

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

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