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You can see closeup that Tonya's egg case is empty, probably from last spring's hatch. Wheel bugs have one generation a year and over winter as eggs, the adults dying off in the cold. The University of Florida Featured Creatures describes the eggs here:
"Eggs resemble miniature brown bottles with white stoppers. They are 3.7 mm long and are laid on end, side by side, in a compact hexagonal cluster of 42 to 182 eggs. The cluster is glued together and covered by gummy cement that may protect the eggs from foul weather, parasites, and predators. Egg clusters are typically found at a height of 4 feet or below on tree trunks and limbs, shrubs, and miscellaneous objects."
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| First instar - REK |
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| Later instar - Wikipedia |
The eggs are 2mm in diameter and the newborn must be
flexible and really squished in there. A later instar to the right shows a good size comparison. The nymphs frequently will feed on their siblings so a quick getaway is important.
