This creature was on our deck this afternoon. I had never seen one of these insects before. It's an Assassin Bug (Wheel Bug). This bug is almost 2" long and has characteristics of a moth (wings), a turtle (note the protruding neck/head and the shell-like body) and a dinosaur (note the ribbed/spiked protrusions on the back). A very strange creature indeed!

These insects are very aggressive. As I was taking this photo, I had to keep backing up, as the bug kept moving toward me in attack mode! That straw-like reddish black thing folded beneath it's cute little head is it's jointed beak, with which it impales its victims (or your finger) and injects an enzymatic venom. The victim's innards then promptly liquify and become a high protein bodybuilding (just look at those pects!) power drink, just right for sucking.

Tele-macro setting used (I wasn't about to get any closer than necessary!). Hand held at 35mm focal length equivalent of 404mm. Stabilizer setting #2. Other camera settings were: Contrast: +1; Sharpness: 0; Saturation: +1; Noise Reduction: 0. Modified in PhotoShop Elements 5.0 and Noise Ninja.