No, I guess there’s no such thing as a miniature flying dinosaur and if there was, it wouldn’t be in my garden.  But this bug certainly looks like it could be a miniature dinosaur… or maybe a bug that would fight in the Roman Colosseum.

These are photos of a Wheel Bug from a few years ago—and if I remember correctly—it accidentally flew into me in the garden.  I also remember hearing it buzzing around—which my research confirms—they tend to be noisy.

Despite its unusual looking armor, it’s a friend in the garden. It eats caterpillars among other pests.  Based on some research however, you don’t want to be bitten by this critter, so it’s best to have a healthy respect and fascination for it at a safe distance with your camera.

Until establishing my garden I had only seen these bugs in books—yet more reasons to continue my backyard garden.

Here’s the bug on my patio chair.

I chose to show a larger photo so you could see the shiny wings.

If you’re curious about this bug check out the following links:
Galveston County Master Gardeners:  Beneficials in the Garden  This page discusses the bug’s behavior including an odor it exudes….

Wikipedia gives a brief overview.  Wheel Bug

Tips:
While I wish I had Big Bertha at the time I took these shots, I made good use with the camera I did have.  The Sony DSC-V1 is a 5 megapixel camera—not the most impressive compared to what is out in the market today.  No matter what camera you have—have the confidence to put it to good use and aim to take the best photo you can.

Notes:
Camera:  Sony DSC-V1
Date:  October 2004