What are these bugs?!

[robpendragon]

I'm usually very good at identifying bugs but these little fellows have me stumped, I was hanging a bird house that my wife painted (I'll make sure to post shots of it, she loves to paint them) & when I was hanging it I saw these things...some had bodies like a mantis & others like a ant/spider mix. Can anyone ID these?
Oh & are they destructive or dangerous?

& please forgive on the photos, I was hanging from a ladder
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1x462qb6PdQzO28zTVUVygBwXHb0_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1x462qb6PdQzO28zTVUVygBwXHb0)
http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1KAJNXTkwLSFxGLyLmx9Ywt38emL51_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1KAJNXTkwLSFxGLyLmx9Ywt38emL51)

[Inspeqtor]

I do not know what they are. I just know I don't want to see them near me!

[kim2900]

http://bestsmileys.com/eek/7.gif http://bestsmileys.com/eek/3.gif"eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

[Inspeqtor]

Kim,

I LOVE what you did! :D:D:D

[kim2900]

Charles - That's what I REALLY WOULD DO if I came across those mutants! :eek: Unfortunately, we're not helping Rob very much, are we?

[Diana]

Hi Rob,

Our County Cooperative Extension Services here in Michigan can usually identify pests and tell us if they are harmful.

Here's a link to yours:
http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/depts/rutgers/rutgers.htm

Send or email them your photo or take an actual bug in to them and they probably can identify it.

Diana

[ladybug]

Bugs? I call them yuk spiders!

[Tom K]

Hey Rob..... I know what they are... The spiders from Harry Potter...

Tom :D

[kim2900]

Tom - You're right! And you know where ever the babies are, Aragog can't be far away! Look behind you, Rob!!!! :twisted:

[Jancy]

Oh my--Glad I haven't had the pleasure of seeing them around here. They really do look like half spider half ant.
Keep them in "your" area Rob!!
Great shot though!

[robpendragon]

After doing some searching last night I found out what they are...Wheel Bugs, they are a type of Assassin bug. In my photos they are in the nymph stage, they get weirder looking when they get to adult stage, Link to bug info (http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Wheel-Bug)

[kevq]

Rob,
YUK!!
You can keep them.
Kev.

[vawitt]

Um....Rob?

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1HsyJLZYVH2IwBcPKVB3fa4AiNKW1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1HsyJLZYVH2IwBcPKVB3fa4AiNKW1)

~Val in balmy IL

[Inspeqtor]

Kev,

I agree with you. Rob can keep them!!

[CalamityJanet]

Thank you for the bug info, Rob! I found some weird bugs in my yard when I lived in Louisiana in 1980 and I remembered taking a photo of them. After all these years I now know that they are newly hatched wheel bugs! Here's the (slightly out of focus) photo from 28 years ago.

[/URL][URL="http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZWbfHNqlvzzcB58AzTbPzQ6Bi4gj0"]http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ZWbfHNqlvzzcB58AzTbPzQ6Bi4gj0_thumb.jpg (http://www.elementsvillage.com/forums/%5BURL=http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1ZWbfHNqlvzzcB58AzTbPzQ6Bi4gj0%5D %5BIMG%5Dhttp://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1ZWbfHNqlvzzcB58AzTbPzQ6Bi4gj0_thumb.jpg%5B/IMG%5D%5B/URL%5D)

[kim2900]

~Val in balmy, IL - good one!!!:p