North American Wheel Bug (Arilus cristatus)
(c) gailhampshire, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
True bugsIn Franklin County, Ohio

North American Wheel Bug

Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus, 1763)

North American Wheel Bug in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Genus
Arilus
Near Franklin County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (17)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (58)
  • Recorded, season not shown (12)
  • Season shown (1)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
North American Wheel Bug by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Allen County30 · Recorded, season not shown
Ashland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ashtabula CountyNo qualifying records yet
Athens CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Auglaize CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Belmont CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Brown CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Butler County71 · Recorded, season not shown
Carroll CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Champaign CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Clark County25 · Recorded, season not shown
Clermont County62 · Recorded, season not shown
Clinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Columbiana CountyNo qualifying records yet
Coshocton CountyNo qualifying records yet
Crawford CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Cuyahoga CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Darke CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Erie County21 · Recorded, season not shown
Fairfield CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Fayette CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Franklin County114 · Recorded, season not shown
Fulton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Gallia CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Geauga CountyNo qualifying records yet
Greene County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County95 · Recorded, season not shown
Hancock County27 · Recorded, season not shown
Hardin CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Harrison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Henry CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Highland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hocking CountyNo qualifying records yet
Holmes CountyNo qualifying records yet
Huron CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jackson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Jefferson CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Knox CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lake CountyNo qualifying records yet
Lawrence CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Licking CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Logan CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lorain CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Lucas County65 · Recorded, season not shown
Madison CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Mahoning CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Marion CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Medina CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Meigs CountyNo qualifying records yet
Mercer CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Miami CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Monroe CountyNo qualifying records yet
Montgomery County81 · Recorded, season not shown
Morgan CountyNo qualifying records yet
Morrow CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Muskingum CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Noble CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ottawa CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Paulding CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Perry CountyNo qualifying records yet
Pickaway CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Pike CountyNo qualifying records yet
Portage CountyNo qualifying records yet
Preble CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Putnam CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Richland CountyNo qualifying records yet
Ross CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Sandusky CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Scioto CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Seneca CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Shelby CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Stark CountyNo qualifying records yet
Summit CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Trumbull CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Van Wert CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Vinton CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Warren CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood County68 · Season shown
Wyandot CountyRecorded, too few records for a result

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Franklin County

Early June to early August, middle week early July, and again late August to early November, middle week late September

Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.

Show over the bars
Recording in Franklin County · records of all species each week, 95,840 in all

Records per week from 114 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of North American Wheel Bug in Franklin County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of North American Wheel BugYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000417
Jan 11–1700236
Jan 18–2400236
Jan 25–3100236
Feb 1–700244
Feb 8–1400360
Feb 15–2100270
Feb 22–2800401
Mar 1–700483
Mar 8–1400567
Mar 15–2100561
Mar 22–2800750
Mar 29 – Apr 4001,310
Apr 5–11001,456
Apr 12–18002,408
Apr 19–25002,525
Apr 26 – May 2002,812
May 3–9002,785
May 10–16112,381
May 17–23002,651
May 24–30112,735
May 31 – Jun 6002,861
Jun 7–13222,986
Jun 14–20422,980
Jun 21–27623,051
Jun 28 – Jul 4323,121
Jul 5–11853,399
Jul 12–181053,754
Jul 19–25423,305
Jul 26 – Aug 1223,347
Aug 2–8543,803
Aug 9–15213,507
Aug 16–22003,137
Aug 23–29213,249
Aug 30 – Sep 5413,487
Sep 6–121053,215
Sep 13–19743,368
Sep 20–26962,586
Sep 27 – Oct 3653,624
Oct 4–10542,701
Oct 11–17642,107
Oct 18–24441,201
Oct 25–31221,123
Nov 1–742789
Nov 8–1465798
Nov 15–2100468
Nov 22–2811522
Nov 29 – Dec 500225
Dec 6–1200234
Dec 13–1900392
Dec 20–2600254
Dec 27 – Jan 200422

Reported as an adult

Usually reported as an adult mid-July to early November, middle week Sep 20–26.

From 73 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.

Reported as a larva

No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Late May to early August, middle week mid-July, and again late August to early November, middle week late September

Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 1,298 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.

Show as a table
Records of North American Wheel Bug in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of North American Wheel BugYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31114,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28116,846
Mar 1–7118,321
Mar 8–141110,384
Mar 15–210012,620
Mar 22–281113,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–111126,860
Apr 12–181139,925
Apr 19–253241,623
Apr 26 – May 22256,391
May 3–91152,952
May 10–163253,785
May 17–235557,698
May 24–306554,651
May 31 – Jun 612553,099
Jun 7–1321653,700
Jun 14–2036956,625
Jun 21–2769855,361
Jun 28 – Jul 464858,477
Jul 5–1166961,336
Jul 12–1859864,722
Jul 19–2564869,753
Jul 26 – Aug 162959,416
Aug 2–846959,712
Aug 9–1539855,994
Aug 16–2226954,328
Aug 23–2930851,772
Aug 30 – Sep 551857,167
Sep 6–1259859,075
Sep 13–19771054,543
Sep 20–26631045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 381943,180
Oct 4–10781037,841
Oct 11–1771930,824
Oct 18–24601021,156
Oct 25–3143719,021
Nov 1–7321014,172
Nov 8–1451912,621
Nov 15–21657,965
Nov 22–28328,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5216,083
Dec 6–12006,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2008,459

Reported as an adult

Usually reported as an adult late July to early November, middle week Sep 20–26.

From 862 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.

Reported as a larva

No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Often confused with

  • Four-spurred Assassin Bug Zelus tetracanthus214 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Acholla multispinosa Acholla multispinosa40 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Spiny Assassin Bug Sinea spinipes33 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Masked Hunter Reduvius personatus25 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

When each is reported

  • All recordsNo season shown · 1,298 records
  • Reported as an adultUsually late July to early November, middle week mid-September · 862 records

Not every photo is marked with a sex or a sign, so these show when people reported each, not when it happens.

Months not reported

  1. Jan: recorded
  2. Feb: recorded
  3. Mar: recorded
  4. Apr: recorded
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: recorded
  12. Dec: no record

Not reported in Ohio in December, 2016 to 2025.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed81%49%
Forest10%31%
Farmland7%11%
Wetland1%5%
Open water0.6%3%
Grassland and shrub0.5%0.9%
Barren0.1%0.6%

From 843 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Ohio result

1,298 records from 2 datasets.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.