I noticed a fuzz ball moving on a leaf.  It wasn’t the breeze causing the movement.  It was definitely moving on its own.

As I looked closer, it looked like there could be bark on the moving fuzz ball… and are those dead bodies? 

But what is it?

I discovered the answer quite easily by searching “bug covered in debris”.

It’s a junk bug!  It also goes by garbage bug and aphid lion.

I can think of additional names:  hoarder, pig pen, corpse keeper, macabre bug, trojan horse bug, psychopathic bug.

There are a couple interesting websites I found that describe the bug in more detail.   One of the websites explains ants and aphids have a symbiotic relationship.  The aphids produce a dew that the ants like.  The ants in turn, protect the aphids from intruders.  So it’s useful the garbage bug can sneak in undetected.

Another interesting point, the garbage bug is in the larval stage.  It turns in to a lacewing.

More information:  

https://www.al.com/live/2012/11/junk_bugs_are_cute_but_that_lo.html

https://www.theadanews.com/news/lifestyles/the-garbage-bug/article_d0d56a32-7460-55f4-8a11-537e2bf0e583.html

Date:  August 2021
Camera:  Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Lens:  Macro