[RandomGuy]

Found these guys swarming a bee near my grapes. Haven't seen them before so figured I'd post them here. I live in northern CA. Make sure to click on the image above!

 

[JClark]

Looks like box elder bug nymphs to me. Nothing to worry about.

 

[tuzserhu]

Looks like box elder bug nymphs to me. Nothing to worry about.

Unless you are a woodworker too and it will ruin your stash of lumber!
Have had that happen to me!

 

[marshmasterpat]

Hmmm. Way out of my stomping grounds, but they have a faint resemblance to assassin bug larvae.

Do they have long sucking mouthparts that they are punching that bee with to suck out fluids? If so, they likely are in the assassin bug family. (Mouth part looks like a straw that folds up under their head and thorax).

 

[JClark]

assassin bugs are in the same order as box elder bugs so they both have the peircing-sucking mouthpart design you describe.

Didn't know they can ruin lumber. What did they do, stain it or something (they don't eat it).

 

[marshmasterpat]

JClark - That would explain it. I never heard of box elder bugs and was assuming they were going to be something like the pine borer or similar.

I was curious how they would ruin wood as well.