The first ones are, I think, on my hydrangeas - don't know what they are but they're everywhere! They have little bodies colored like yellow jackets and back legs like a cricket?? Weird.

Hi rhizo, thanks. I have not seen any spittle on any plants, but I've looked up froghoppers after reading your message and it indeed appears you are right. I thought the were related to the cicada family and learned froghoppers are related to aphids and cicadas. It seems some people think they don't do damage, but my poor morning glory can hardly keep its flowers open anymore. It's also starting to get covered in whitish residue that does not seem like powdery mildew at this time. I am either about to wage war on these with neem oil or imaproclorid (sp??), or to pull out the morning glories and sweet potato vines, since pyrethrin only seems to deter them temporarily. Even if they are not incredibly harmful, their constant peeing which gets carried in the wind and occasional hopping on one's face makes me HATE them as it is impossible to want to spend time in my very small balcony that I worked so hard to turn into a little haven. It turns out the other one is indeed an assassin bug nymph. Found a huge one today starting to grow wings. Thanks for the lead on it. Any tips on how to destroy the froghoppers without harming the assassins? It turns out the hoppers are too quick for me to catch by hand...

what a pic ...!!! it does look like a stinkbug ... if you presume.. you are looking at its butt ... bear with me rhiz... we arent all bug-o-gists ... mostly because of the triangular backside ... BUT!!! .. pun intended... if we are looking at its head ... it looks like a beetle ... go figure ... unintended trick photography ... anyway ... this is a good lesson .. in allowing MOST of ma natures buggy little friends to live ... too many peeps ... what them all dead ... regardless of value... etc ... [if they ever take the time to ID and find if there is a value] but if you go a bit more zen ... like i did when i moved to 5 acres... and couldnt afford to slaughter everything.. like back in suburbia... lol ... in 14 years ... there have only been one or two outbreaks.. that required any action on my part ... live an let live.. is now my formula ... bugs.. except in biblical proportions.. rarely.. kill plants ... and even if a population spikes one year.. it might be 17 years.. before it happens again .... and so what.. if they take out an annual .... and.. NEVER treat for bugs... when the season is over ... as per the thought above ... in the north anyway .... [slug hunting in fall in hostadom may be one exception .... but its not a chem thing] anyway.. all this.. due to a neat pic ... for most everything .. full fall cleanup is all you do.. this time of year ... ken ps: two?? .. pinesaw larve.. until i realized.. they are eating last years needles only ... unless it is some prime hundred dollar 6 inch specimen tree .... and i used to battle jbeetle grubs ... 3 acres of lawn stopped that nonsense... lol ... it was a simple fix.. i started calling it a meadow ... lol ... instead of a lawn ... so what if there are brown patches.. distance lends enchantment ... it was like breaking a heroin habit.. to un-become.. a lawn warrior .... no fert.. no weed killer ... no grub killing ... etc ... time to go.. have a great day ....

Actually, the fruit of Passion Vine is highly edible -- you've just picked it too soon. Another common name for the vine is Wild Apricot, which should give you some idea of the general taste of the ripe fruit. When it's ripe the skin pales to a soft yellow green and the flesh will be quite soft. The ripe seeds inside will be dark. The black bug might be a leaf footed bug. They suck sap, but don't seem to do too much damage in my garden, unlike their relative the squash bug, which pretty much destroys my squash plantings every year. Marty Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf Footed Bug