Stink bug nymph

5744   Hi, my name is Ronna. I found this bug in my back yard in Moncton, NB on a hot sunny July day.  What is it?

This is a nymph of a stink bug (Hemiptera/Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in the genus Podisus. Bugs in this genus are known as soldier bugs, and as general predators on many other arthropods often are considered beneficial by gardeners. See http://tinyurl.com/hhywusm for more detailed information. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.