Oops. No answer about the critters but that cuke is short of water.

@jean001a: Yes, unfortunately we went on vacation and it turned out to be a very hot and dry week and they haven't recovered at all. I need to find a solution for that for next year.

@IpmMan: Thank you. For some reason I thought aphids looked much different than that, but now that I know I'll get on getting rid of them before they cause any damage.

Nope. Not aphids. Youngsters of a true bug. Several kinds look very much alike at this stage. Someone will come along to say which you have.

I'm pretty sure that they are the nymphs of the leaf-footed bug, a very young instar (early stage). Jean is soo right...some of the true bugs look very similar at this age. Leaf footed bugs are a pest and usually hang around together as nymphs.

A very similar insect would be one of the beneficial assassin bugs, but I'm pretty confidant that yours is one of the bad guys.

Not aphids for certain. IPM man's glasses must have fogged up because he's usually spot on! ;-)

Definitely nymphs of leaf-footed bugs (close relatives of stink bugs that do very similar damage). Kill them with fire!

Assassin bugs, particularly milkweed assassin bug nymphs, can look very similar.. and you definitely don't want to kill those. But assassin bugs nymphs never hang out in groups, and rarely get onto fruit.

There are other subtler differences. The proboscis-like feeding spike or beak (called a "rostrum") on the mouth of the assassin bug is short, thick, and segmented. Every once in a while you'll catch an assassin bug actually feeding on its prey with its rostrum swung forward to pierce the other bug.

Leaf-footed bug nymphs also have a proboscis-like mouthpart, but it is much longer and thinner. It folds underneath the body like in the assassin bug, but extends far beyond the head. It can be hard to tell when they're feeding, but if you look close enough you can see their rostrum piercing your prized garden produce. The other distinguishing factor for leaf-footed stink bugs.. is the leaf-like appendage on the feet. It is really subtle and undeveloped on the nymphs, but obvious once you compare it to the assassin bugs.

Kill the nymphs while you can, because the adults are far harder to get rid of. Neem oil (the true oil, not the "clarified hydrophobic extract of neem" sold as an active ingredient) is a decent "anti-feedant".

What harm do t do and how do I get rid of them