Pest Puzzler

[tgalbraith]

For two summers now, the seed pods on my rose of sharon have been infested with these insects. I can't find them in any bug book. Not squash bugs, but a similar shield shape. Orange-ish heads. The juveniles are little bright red dots. Plus, they fly.

http://garden.samsdiner.net/badbug1.jpg
http://garden.samsdiner.net/badbug2.jpg

I can't tell if they are actually harming the shrub, but they are certainly having a good time...lots of mating, etc. going on. I've tried insecticidal soap, garlic/pepper tea, Neem oil, you name it (organically) and...nothing. A strong blast of water sends the adults flying, but they soon come back.
They do not congregate on any other plant in my backyard.

My questions: What the heck are these? Are they harmful? If so, how do I get rid of them organically?

Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated...thanks!

[dragonfly]

I have had the same bugs, and couldn't figure out what they were, so I posted a pic at another gardening site, and the general consensus was that they are in the assassin bug family and are predatory on other bugs, so I have just left them alone. I've never seen them harm any of my plants, but I can't promise that they don't. Are there any aphids or other small insects on your plants that these bugs could be eating?

[Nadine]

They look like they could be a type of squash bug.
http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/common/images/a-txt/aimg61.html

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg61.html

[unklmike]

Do these guys have what look like wing flaps on their back legs? I hve them on my peppers, both hot (cayene, jalepeno, habenero) and bells. The closest I've found is also assassin bug. :?