Recently found three different clusters of small spider-like orange to
red critters on young pecan trees. They appear to have hatched
recently, late April to early May. This is the best photo I could
manage before they scattered.
Does anyone have an idea of what they might be? Good or bad bugs? They
certainly are quite unusual, have not seen these before.
Photo is he
http://www.farmphoto.com/photography...asp?mid=169244

They look like wheel bugs (a.k.a., assassin bugs) quite possibly
this one or a closely related species:
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~sjtaylor/r...ilusNymph2.jpg

They're good bugs. On pecan, they may be attacking fall
webworms, walnut caterpillars (which also eat pecan leaves)
and some others caterpillars..

Auburn Univ. has pictures of one feeding on a webworm
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/dept/entplp...rm/photo13.htm


ncstockguy wrote:
Recently found three different clusters of small spider-like orange to
red critters on young pecan trees. They appear to have hatched
recently, late April to early May. This is the best photo I could
manage before they scattered.
Does anyone have an idea of what they might be? Good or bad bugs? They
certainly are quite unusual, have not seen these before.
Photo is he
http://www.farmphoto.com/photography...asp?mid=169244



--
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Waldvogel, PhD
Extension Specialist, Structural & Industrial Pests
North Carolina State University
Dept. of Entomology, Campus Box 7613, 4318 Gardner Hall
Raleigh, NC USA 27695-7613
Ph: 919.515.8881 Fax: 919.515.7746 Cell: 919.801.4108
Email:
http://entomology.ncsu.edu/waldvogel

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Go get 'em! I love the name assassin bug!

Hiya Michael. Haven't seen you on the ng for awhile.

That's it Michael! They are indeed assassin bugs. Had never seen them
in the tiny just hatched stage before. Thanks for the info. Glad to
know they are good bugs..

Well, some species assassinate honeybees too, but I think in general
they're on our side.

Cheers
Sue

On 6 May 2005 06:16:44 -0700, "ncstockguy"
wrote:

That's it Michael! They are indeed assassin bugs. Had never seen them
in the tiny just hatched stage before. Thanks for the info. Glad to
know they are good bugs..