CLOSED: Cluster of orange & black bugs in Maryland

dnaill Westminster, MD May 13, 2009

I found a small cluster (roughly the size of a coffee cup) of orange and black bugs, which were on and around a flat, dark gray cluster of what I assume were eggs in a honeycomb type pattern (size of a .50 piece), on the west facing brick wall of my house. The bugs had legs twice the length of their mostly orange bodies (which were the size of pencil eraser). I couldn't get a good picture of them before my wife made me take them out (they were kind of creepy). I had never seen them before. What were they?

Post #6544884

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV May 13, 2009

See if they looked like the egg mass and nymphs in the image seen at
http://tinyurl.com/o6opp8 - If they do, you have wheel bugs (Arilus cristatus; Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Reduviidae). They are general predators on other small arthropods and thus usually are considered beneficial. be careful, though - large specimens are capable of delivering a very painful 'bite' if mishandled. For more detailed information, see http://tinyurl.com/r3jvp7