What plants are the bugs on? I just saw a picture of a bean leaf beetle yesterday and thought how closely it resembled a lady bug. But they are primarily a soybean, snap bean, and dried bean pest. I don't know if that helps you or not.

Oops. Sorry scarletdaisies. I did not see until after I posted my message that they are on your tomato plants. I would still search the internet for the bean leaf beetle and see if that is what your bugs look like. Good luck!

They look the most like them, but I counted spots, maybe they are not yet fully formed. They are shaped like them and tiny like that. I searched last night for a while with no luck, I usually search first and ask questions last because I'm always asking questions. These look the most like them, maybe they were just hatched and they are lacking something.

Except for the size it sounds kind of like a squash vine borer, but they wouldn't be on your tomato plants.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/images/M1209-1-lg.jpg

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:45184}}

No, I've gone at it with the squash vine borer, lost all my pumpkin and yellow squash to them. They are huge, like 3 times the size of a wasp, big ugly bugs. These are the bean beetle because now their one dot above the other two divided to two, so they must have just hatched. They are dive bombing out there, but the leaves look good and the few green tomatoes I have are doing fine.

I must have just walked up on them their first day, I wonder what will get rid of them?

Scarletdaisies, could it possibly be a stink bug? I was on the gardeners supply company website (no I don't work for them and no I am not trying to provide advertisement) and they have a pest and disease detective. If you put in the plant that is having the problem, it gives you a lot of possibilites. The stink bug kind of looks like a lady bug in that it is red and black. Those are the only two I saw (stink bug and bean leaf beetle) that are the closest to a lady bug. I hope that helps a little. If you are brave enough, you can pick them off and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. I don't like bugs...I have my husband handle that part.

It's definitely the bean beetle.

This one above has more spots, but after seeing one spot turn to two, it might just be they get older and they get more spots. I've also gone at it with the squash bugs and they are a type of stink bug, they are armored and fairly large. I have only once seen a squash bug fly, didn't know they had wings, but I searched every squash bug, stink bug, I could find, so I am aware of the stink bug you are referring only by picture, none found in the yard yet.

I didn't take a picture because I am fairly sure it's the been beetle, just don't know why they are dive bombing my tomatoes. Do they like cannas, lilies, or elephant ears? I hope not, the only bean I planted was nubbed down by a goold ole' rabbit/mole/deer/groundhog/squirrel.

I have to say the rabbits are hiding better this year, unlike the groundhog and the squirrel. Well, anyways I found my culprit, it's definitely a red bean beetle, now just to find out what he's eating. I hope not my castor bean plant, isn't it poisonous to bugs too? They are only flying around the tomatoes and those flowers I mentioned above, plus the honeysuckle bush.

This guy came crawling across my desk at work, and I have been having a heck of time with bad bugs in my garden this year. There are so many different ladies that I wasn't sure on this one. Definitely different from the girls in my garden. Is this a veggie eater, maybe the critter you are talking about?