Identifying (accurately) any type of "bug" is quite a challenge. I have tried. I've used many online resources, images, a dichotomous key. This one has been tough to crack. Below are two creatures I believe are the same species at different places in development. The top two photos are specimen #1 on my sweet potato vine. Specimen #2 I found among some fruit on a black walnut tree. I believe it is an insect in the order Hemiptera. From there, I don't feel terribly confident. I think it's a wheel bug, but most images I have seen of a wheel bug show a wheel shaped pronotal armor. Maybe these are too young yet? I don't feel 100% satisfied so I'm going to keep searching. What I do know is that I have seen both insects in the exact same spots earlier this summer. They seem to be surviving well!
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