Rough Draft:
To be added to the introduction of the article:
Wheel bugs are most active in daylight, though they may engage in predatory behaviors at night in areas illuminated by lights (Mead). Males are smaller in terms of their length and width when compared to females. Also, wheel bugs are confirmed to occupy areas of Mexico and Guatemala in South America. Furthermore, the species preys on the “…fall webworm, imported cabbage worm, Mexican bean beetle, orangedog, and tent caterpillars” (Hagerty and McPherson 59). (The wheel bug feeds on these species and also receives nutrients from the food sources listed in the article. I plan to add links to the Wikipedia pages for each of those organisms in the actual text). Finally, according to Mead, “Some of the favored habitats of the wheel bug include the cotton, goldenrod, sunflower , and other flowers, trunks of locust trees, citrus and pecan graves, and miscellaneous forest, shade, and fruit trees.” Finally, turpentine oil has been documented to draw in wheel bugs (Mead). Regardless of the prevalence of the wheel bug in many habitats, the information compiled concerning the species is haphazard and incomplete (Hagerty and McPherson 59).
To be added under “Characteristics:”
They have forewings which are “…thick and protective…” according to Bob Thomas, as well as hind wings which “…are entirely membranous and propel the insect during flight.” Nevertheless, with respect to mobility, wheel bugs are slow in flight and on foot. As a result of this incapacity to move swiftly, wheel bugs heavily rely on camouflage, the effect of their punishing, segmented proboscis, or the excretion of unpleasant odors in order to evade predation (Thomas).
According to Bill Thomas, “Wheel bugs, like many reduviids, produce a clicking sound by rubbing the tip of the beak over tiny ridges on the lower surface of the anterior portion of the thorax (the prosternum). The sound’s purpose is probably communication among individual wheel bugs” (Thomas).
I may add this content under a new section, or potentially under “Ecological Significance:”
Wheel bugs are generally indifferent concerning the presence and interruption of humans. Although evidence suggests that wheel bugs can be seemingly be domesticated in controlled environments (Mead), if provoked or mishandled, wheel bugs may attack in an act of defense. As a cautionary warning, the bite of a wheel bug is generally considered to be of greater severity in terms of the level and duration of pain than the sting of common insects like bees (Mead). The resulting wound is documented to be extremely painful, lasting, and lingering (Johnson 16, Creary). The pain which accompanies the bite is followed by an unceasing numbness which can persist for days. Furthermore, the vicinity of the injury is known to become irritated and “hot to the touch” according to F.W. Mead of Entomology Circular. A white crust sometimes forms around the wound during the healing process, though it eventually deteriorates, leaving the small puncture wound visible. Discomfort may last a fortnight or for up to more than half of a calendar year in some cases. However, the latter timeline is frequently attributed to allergic tendencies or the recurrent infection of the original wound (Mead).
To be added under “Reproduction:”
Females lay eggs at a low elevation on trees, bushes, twigs, and other objects (Mead). Secreted glue serves as an adhesive which maintains the cluster formation of the eggs. After the nymphs hatch, the average length of each molt is roughly 18.8 days, though the 5th and final molt prior to the adult stage is the longest. Eggs generally hatch in the beginning of May and finally mature into adults by July. However, the seasonal timing of this life cycle varies based upon the climate of the population. In fact, Hagerty and McPherson hold that “…a cold period apparently is not necessary for normal egg development (60). Overall, it takes roughly 94 days for nymphs to reach maturity once they hatch.
In a laboratory test conducted of wheel bugs in the Southern Illinois University Entomology Collection in 1997 and 1998, research revealed that the species’ eggs face the daunting threat of being infected by parasitic organisms, namely Ooencyrtus Johnsoni and Anastatus Reduvii (Once again, I plan to add links to the Wikipedia pages of such organisms in the future, provided that they exist.) Of the 12 clusters of eggs monitored in the lab, 10 were ravaged by parasites which prevented the eggs from hatching normally (Hagerty and McPherson 59-60).
The proboscis develops in the early molts, allowing the wheel bug to practice predatory habits early in life. Alternatively, the distinctive wheel derives only after the wheel bug reaches the adult stage following the final molt. Bill Johnson, contributor to Horticulture magazine, interestingly claims that “No other insect species in the world has this ornament.”
To be added under “Ecological Significance:”
Though wheel bugs are a welcome agent of pest control, they also prey on several ecologically beneficial species. For instance, they incorporate lady beetles and honey bees into their diets. To elaborate, these organisms which are widely and highly regarded for their beneficial contributions to ecosystems supplement their diets with organisms which also serve to bolster the health of the ecosystem (Mead).
Finally, I also hope to contribute other information towards the article, though added content may be more subtle and lack density.
Feedback concerning the "Wheel bug" article:
The article seems to have very few citations considering the amount of information which it conveys. Thus, some facts appear to lack backing from reliable sources. Posting the bibliography below to the article's talk page may help to correct this flaw.
Furthermore, the article fails to mention any predatory threats which the wheel bug may face in its environment. It also neglects to point out any interactions which the organism may have with other species in its habitat which are not pertinent to a predator-prey dynamic.
In the same way, details concerning the preferred niches which the species occupies and the details of its reproductive life cycle are absent. Visual aids concerning the nymph stages of the wheel bug may be appropriate to include in future revisions.
Finally, the conservation status of the species is ignored throughout the article. Such an oversight must be corrected. At the same time, it ignores the potential dangers which the species may pose to humans.
Feedback concerning the "Wheel bug" article:
The article seems to have very few citations considering the amount of information which it conveys. Thus, some facts appear to lack backing from reliable sources. Posting the bibliography below to the article's talk page may help to correct this flaw.
Furthermore, the article fails to mention any predatory threats which the wheel bug may face in its environment. It also neglects to point out any interactions which the organism may have with other species in its habitat which are not pertinent to a predator-prey dynamic.
In the same way, details concerning the preferred niches which the species occupies and the details of its reproductive life cycle are absent. Visual aids concerning the nymph stages of the wheel bug may be appropriate to include in future revisions.
Finally, the conservation status of the species is ignored throughout the article. Such an oversight must be corrected. At the same time, it ignores the potential dangers which the species may pose to humans.
Bibliography:
JOHNSON, BILL. "The Wheel Bug." Horticulture 111.2 (2014): 16. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
CRISTATUS, ARILUS, and Scott Creary. "Wheel Bug." Organic Gardening 61.5 (2014): 62. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
"Assassin Bug." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2016): 1. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Web. 12 Oct. 2016.
HALL, Maurice C. LESIONS DUE TO THE BITE OF THE WHEEL-BUG, ARILUS CRISTATUS (HEMIPTERA; REDUVIIDAE). Arch Intern Med (Chic). 1924;33(4):513-515.
Morrison, III, William R., Clarissa R. Mathews, and Tracy C. Leskey. "Frequency, Efficiency, And Physical Characteristics Of Predation By Generalist Predators Of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Eggs." Biological Control 97.(2016): 120-130. ScienceDirect. Web. 12 Oct. 2016. *Potential Source*
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Potential Articles:
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Augochlora pura Rating: C-Class
Solenopsis molesta Rating: Start-Class
Apiomerus crassipes Rating: Stub-Class
Wheel bug Rating: Stub-Class