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Hello,
A friend of mine took this picture of this mystery bug on an apple tree in Altoona, Alabama on 4-16-06. In the picture there seems to be a hive that they are crawling in and out of. I have also seen the bug on a tree across from my house either on a maple tree or an oak tree about a year ago. I live in Albertville, Alabama. On the tree across from my house these bugs were all over it, so many you couldn’t see the bark all you seen was red and black. They were even crawling up and down the curb on the street. We are just curious as to what kind of bug this is. If you can identify the bug it would be interesting to know what kind it is.
Thanks.
Kristi Richards

Hi Kristi,
The pictured insect is a group of newly hatched Wheel Bugs, a type of Assassin Bug. They are predatory and beneficial in the garden where they will rid your plants of many pests. The bug you described on the maple is similarly colored, but is probably a Boxelder Bug.

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