For a full body view of the Wheel Bug and it's "stinger", go to http://www.pbase.com/britestar/image/68099143
"The Wheel Bug has some of the best-developed mouthparts of any True Bug. Its formidable beak arises at the anterior end of its long tubular head and unfolds forward.When it encounters a prey item--usually some adult insect or caterpillar--it typically lunges forward in its own slow way, grabs onto the prey with its front legs, and buries its hypodermic beak into some soft body part of the hapless prey. The Wheel Bug then injects enzyme-laden saliva--which immobilizes the prey within 30 seconds and turns its parts into porridge--after which the predatory bug sucks out all the victim's bodily fluids. It's worth noting that Wheel Bugs aren't all that particular about where they stick their beaks--which is fair warning that humans should use appropriate care when handling one. Some folk have allergic reactions to the bite, while others simply say a Wheel Bug nibble hurts ten times more than a hornet sting and takes weeks or months to heal." Hilton Pond Center for Natural History

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Copyright 2006 Elizabeth Bickel