Ambush Bug
Phymata americana
Granite Mountain Wilderness, Yavapai Co., Arizona, USA. 14 Sept. 2012. As a sit-and-wait predator on this inflorescence of Golden Crown-beard it could be detering pollinators.
Reduviidae -- Assassin Bug Family
Bees, despite possessing a stinger with potent venom, are no match for these camouflaged bugs that wait on flowers. With a powerful beak and gripping front legs even large bees are caught. Like all true bugs, ambush bugs eat only the liquified contents of their prey. With their straw-like beak they first inject enzymes before sucking out their meal leaving an empty shell.