no idea what it is.. but it's cute.

Bright colors, I would stay away from it.

Assassin Bug nymph

http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2011/08/20/immature-assassin-bug-11/

From what I have read it sounds like this is a carnivorous bug that eats other bugs.  So generally speaking as gardener this bug is your friend.  Right now I am trying to kill as many cucumber beetles by hand as possible and could use some help from these guys.  Now if only they would attack deer and squirrels!

Shudder!  For some reason this does NOT appear "cute" to me!  Never was in to Sci-Fi!

A lady bug is the ONLY bug I know that could be called "cute," oh, and those little sow bugs that roll up when you touch them.........

I'll tell ya cute!  10 days ago I got some pineapple guava seeds on Ebay, planted them, stuck them in a sunny window with seran over, making a little greenhouse, and today, I see green!  Now THAT is cute!!  ;-))

Keep that "cute" bug on your tree, but don't send it here!!

Suzi

That's what I thought it was at first, at least one of the species. Just didn't know for sure.
But I here they are a gardeners best friend. I also here you don't want to get bitten by one either.

At least keep your distance Pete.
Remember, you are in his realm now. So just let him be.

I would leave him alone.The Assassin bugs hunt other insects similar to this
Boxelder bug that I found eating a Japanese beetle on a Hardy Chicago...and Japanese beetles will eat figs.




Some other photos from a Google search of Assassin bugs eating beetles.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/assassinbug.html

Found this guy just a few minutes ago on the screen door leading to the patio.
I had just shut the A/C off and opened all the windows when I saw it.

I helped it out so it can do its' thing.

Picture is not that good but it will do I guess.

Cool insects. You gotta love the variety of nature. :)

Awww!  It is cute, and what a good helper! 

Rafed - I wish I had a few of those too!

JoAnn749

Believe it or not but you can buy them ( preying mantis ) and lady bugs on the Internet.
EBay would be your easiest source.

I thought about it a few times, I just might take a dive next year.

Edit: As eggs of course.

Rafed, I saw them in my local nursery - live ladybugs and praying mantis eggs.  It was at the beginning of the growing season and I didn't have any pests to keep them in my yard! 

It is the first year for my garden.  I haven't seen many pests - 1 or 2 cucumber beetles, a couple of grasshoppers, and the worst has been spider mites on my tomatoes the last 2-3 weeks!  I think I have the spider mites under control now.

What we have that are most beneficial against aphids are syrphid fly larvae. Some people might say 'Ick! A worm!!', and kill it, but they chow down on tremendous numbers of horrid aphids. While they do look sort of like a cabbage worm, they are about 1/4 inch long, are pointed at one end, and tend to be a bit less 'whitish'. They are often greenish, sometimes greyish, and slightly more transparent than cabbage worms.

I have this black thing that looks like those assassin bugs or is it something else?   I also have red ones that completed covered the cherry tomato until I started taking a picture of them.  Then, they moved.  Scary looking.  I had to run away.  I will not be eating that tomato.   Are you sure these things aren't just sucking the juices out of the fruits?