I don't know, but they're busy making more bugs! They don't look like squash bugs with those red markings. And they don't look like assassin bugs either; the markings are wrong. However, they act like assassin bugs, running and hiding under leaves. Isn't there a Bug ID forum here somewhere?

Here is a link that might be useful: squash bugs

That is a harlequin bug. Very bad to have.....

EG

I'm certainly no expert, but in looking at pictures, it doesn't look like a Harlequin bug, either according to what I found. I seem to recall seeing these last year on a forum, but I can't remember where or what they were.

This site might help you identify it if no one here knows. http://www.whatsthatbug.com/

Bagrada Hilaris. Very destructive, natives of Africa. Entered the U.S. in Los Angeles county in 2008, and have now spread throughout southern California and into Arizona. They totally destroyed my broccoli and cauliflower last year. Don't mess around with organic solutions . . . get out the Seven.

For more information try . . . http://cisr.ucr.edu/bagrada_bug.html

Good luck!!!!

Michael

Michael, thanks for IDing this critter. I've been trying to pry the name of this pest out of my brain cells for days. I knew that I had seen images, but couldn't remember. I'll bet that we begin to see more and more of these pests as time goes by.

I second the thank you, Micheal. Interesting that they are also called Harlequin bugs, yet are not the "same" Harlequin bug I think of. They are in the same family and do look similar.

Yikes,

I've got a LOT of these guys around the garden. When I pull up weeds they rain these bugs. I had to leave for business this last Friday and I will not be back until this Thursday. But Friday A.M. I gave the whole garden a heavy spraying of Seven. I'm very nervous as the temperatures are supposed to be up into the high 100's by the end of the week and that combined with a big bug infestation may seriously set me back.

Thanks for all your help.

Good luck with them, Demolitron. I hope the Sevin works quickly for you. Amazing how hardy nasties are, isn't it?

The war is still being fought, but I'm losing the battles...

I returned from my business trip Thursday evening to see my radishes still covered with these "Hilarious" bugs. =( From what I have researched online these guys are nasty and exotic and we don't have a lot of scientific research on them as of yet. As I said before, I sprayed Sevin the morning before I left but it didn't seem to do the trick. So I sprayed them again Thursday night around 8:00pm or so. I was VERY thorough making sure to spray under the leaves, on top of the leaves, deep inside the foliage, as well as the soil surface. I used 3oz per gallon of the concentrate as per the label's strongest solution's directions.

Now today, Saturday, they're still out there. Its getting hot at around 104 degrees so they aren't walking around on the leaves as much but if I brush/shake the plants they fly and scurry and jump. I just start squishing the buggers every time I go out to the garden till my hands are sticky with bug guts...and I'm tired.

I am most worried about the rest of my plantings now. I see them on most everything in my garden. When I walk past my tomatoes and corn the disturbance I cause makes a storm of these bugs fly around. The Sevin hasn't worked out so far, but should I wait a week and make another application? Or is there something else I can do?

Thanks for your help.

God, is there one bug on your leaves not mating?????

maybe if you can find a way to break them up, they might stop spreading..Sheesh..

I wish you all the luck..Please tell us what happens...Scary to think they might be the next plague..

Mike

Oh, so sorry to hear that. When I looked them up the first time, I found a few articles about control. I have no idea how accurate these, are, but it may help.

http://www.larsen-twins.dk/22bagrada.html
http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/bagrada-bug-1113/
http://westernfarmpress.com/vegetables/bagrada-bug-back-0503/
http://ag.arizona.edu/crops/vegetables//advisories/docs/SWAS_BagradaBug2010VEGIPM15.pdf
http://growingproduce.com/americanvegetablegrower/?storyid=3756

There are some concrete suggestions in all of these articles. Hope there is something in them that you have readily available and can try right now. One of them suggested smushing the bugs and spreading the mushed bug parts onto the plants - that the smell made the other bugs move. But, if they move, they'd just move to another area of the garden, I'd guess. And, I'd hate them to move to my neighbor. Much better to slay the devils.

They also are parasited by small wasps, but they didn't say which type. That could be an option if you can find out what ones do that to them.

Are there a lot of (common) different types of parasite wasps? Maybe the same as the aphid parasite wasp.

Is this the same bug where someone posted a picture of what they thought were "mutant ladybug" eggs? Larger spherical orange/black "eggs"?

I have been dealing with these too, they have definitely made it to Texas big time! HORRID CREATURES!

They love horseradish and broccoli leaves. I tried tenting the infested plants for a few days to smother them but it just made them dopey...I gave up on spraying the orange oil and just started hand picking them and throwing them right into a bucket of only slightly diluted orange oil (1/2 cup to 1/ gallon water) also, the eggs are small and in sets of 8 or 10? 2 rows of 4 or 5 together on the undersides of the leaves, you need to scrape them all off too. That took forever but worked, it took several months for more to arrive.

I think maybe having the horseradish plant helps keep them from the other plants (tomatoes etc) in my garden as that seems to be their first choice.

Mike Said: >>> God, is there one bug on your leaves not mating?????

My thoughts exactly!

At first glance at the photo I chuckled, Ha! looks like they are all "stuck together" mating. Then I looked closer and realized that NONE of them were singles -- so I assumed they were "double bodied" (thorax/abdomen, whatever) pests. When I looked at the link with photo and realized yours really WERE all mating.

Looks like the GW gardeners need to stick together (no pun intended) and share what works, since Sevin apparently isn't very effective for everyone.