One Important Thing To Know About Assassin Bugs in Illinois and Wisconsin

Did you know that your garden is home to a secret army of predators? Assassin bugs in Illinois and Wisconsin protect your plants from harmful pests, but there is one important thing you should NEVER do when you see one.

Common Illinois Bugs

I hate bugs, but thanks to the fact that this summer I became the reluctant owner of three toads and a frog, I have been learning a lot about common backyard bugs lately.

(Here is one of my girls' toads they cleverly named "Toady")

In addition to the live crickets we buy, my girls have been catching bugs in the backyard to feed our new amphibian family members. So, I've been doing a lot of Googling lately to make sure the strange looking bugs are safe for the girls to touch and for the toads/frog to eat.

Thankfully, my girls have not caught a bug that looks like this yet, but I noticed this picture in the Strange Wisconsin Facebook group, and I thought; "what the heck is that?!?"

Many people commented that it's a stink bug, but I've had enough run ins with those nasty things to know that's probably not true, so...what is it?

An assassin bug.

I'm not sure what's more alarming about this insect; its appearance or its terrifying-sounding name!

What Is An Assassin Bug?

Despite their terrifying name, assassin bugs, aka, a "wheel bugs", (see the cog-like wheel on its back?) are actually beneficial insects for controlling pests. They are known for stealthy hunting techniques where they use their long, sharp, mouth parts to inject venom into their prey, immobilizing and eventually killing them.

Umm...yikes!

One Important Thing to Know About Assassin Bugs

While I'm not sure why anyone would ever want to, if you spot an assassin bug in your home or yard, DON'T TOUCH IT!!

An article from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences says;

While wheel bugs are not aggressive and avoid contact with humans, they will defend themselves (bite or, perhaps more accurately, stab) if harassed or handled.

Their bite has been described as being as bad or worse than a sting from a wasp or hornet. After the initial pain of the bite, which can last for several minutes, the area may be numb for several days, and it may take a few weeks for the wound to heal.

Ok, I don't need to be told that twice.

Oh, and one more thing you should know about assassin bugs...they are cousins to stink bugs, and they DO smell if you squash them, so you might not want to do that either.