Something's Bugging Me

I've got a little bit of an insect mystery on my hands.  A few weeks ago, before school started, I was out in our backyard and found this strangely creepy thing on the side of a tree.

Take a closer look...

Is this not the most odd thing? 

I was hesitant to get very close.  Those pincer looking things had me spooked.  Literally, the hair on the back of my neck stood up!  I'm not a fan of the creepy, crawly things of this Earth.

I did get closer, however, upon noticing that this thing was not alive. 

No.

This thing that was attached to the trunk of our maple tree was actually a SHELL of a former insect.

But WHAT insect was it? 

And, WHY was this shell here and stuck on the side of the tree?

Now...the plot thickens.

This EXACT SAME THING happened two summers ago. 

On the Very Same Tree.

In the Very Same Spot on said tree.

As I said, I'm not a big fan of creepy crawlies.  And to top it off, my kids' latest issue of Ranger Rick magazine came in the mail yesterday and there was a huge close-up of a spider on the front cover and an enlarged picture of a bat with it's mouth stretched open on the back cover. 

The magazine has been banished to a hidden spot under the couch.  No one wants to touch the magazine for fear the spider or bat (or both!) morph into reality and take a bite from our hands!