Yep, looks like a squash bug to me.

Me too...Squash away

Thanks... makes me mad I've left him (hopefully its a him) alone for a few days. I hope he hasn't had a chance to procreate before he meets his maker.

Kevin, don't neglect to check plants around your squash. When squash bugs start laying eggs, if you are diligent in patrolling your squash leaves, not only will they lay them on squash stems, but they seem to get desperate and the bugs will begin to lay eggs on nearby plants. A week ago I squished some off of some spring onions that were right next to where the squash were growing. If your potatoes are near cukes or squash, check them for eggs. It could though, just be a female sitting atop something tall hoping a male would get a scent of pheromones.

rgreen - Thanks for that info. I have looked at the squash plants pretty closely and did not see any signs. To be honest this bug has been sitting on that potato plant for over a week now. The potato bed is adjacent to the squash bed. I guess the reason I didn't think it was a squash bug was because it wasn't on the squash! But your theory of the bug perching up as high as it can get to attract males makes sense, at least to this simple minded man.

ugh! Checking squash leaves for squash bugs and eggs is bad enough but checking a bazillion potato leaves for them is where I would draw the line. Bad enough to have to check the potatoes for Japanese Beetles but then I only do a cursory check for them at the top of the plants since the potatoes are on the decline anyway.