Arilus

Arilus, or wheel bugs due to the semicircular crest on the pronotum,^[1][2][3] is a genus of true bugs in the family Reduviidae, subfamily Harpactorinae and tribe Harpactorini. Most species are found in the Americas.^[4] Arilus is a generalist predator of insects.^[2]

Arilus
Arilus cristatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Heteroptera
Family:	Reduviidae
Subfamily:	Harpactorinae
Tribe:	Harpactorini
Genus:	Arilus Hahn, 1831

See North American wheel bug for details about a representative species.

Species

Five extant species plus one fossil species are included within this genus:^[5]

• Arilus carinatus (Forster, 1771)
• Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus, 1763) the North American wheel bug
• Arilus depressicollis (Stål, 1859)
• †Arilus faujasi Riou, 1999
• Arilus gallus (Stål, 1872)
• Arilus nigriceps Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848

Three additional species originally described in the genus are currently incertae sedis.^[5]

• Arilus auctus Germar, 1837
• Arilus collaris Herrich-Schaeffer, 1848
• Arilus spiniceps Blanchard, 1843