I was immediately alerted by this post, as I noticed a lot of a new-to-me variety of bug that sounds similar. Could it possibly be a stink bug? I think that's what I've got, although I'm not sure at all. They are all over the columbine and polemonium in my back garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stink Bug Pictures

Thanks, Drippy.

Yes, I think they were immature harlequin stink bugs - today they look much more like the photos I've found on the web. They are right next to some crambe cordifolia, in the cabbage family, much loved by stink bugs.

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I guess this means I'll be thinking about control - too bad because they looked darn cute yesterday.

Yes, I have them too - lots - what do you use for control? Will Neem work?

I've been googling - "stink bug" +control - and have not found anything yet. There is nothing at Gardens Alive! website either. Next I guess I'll go check all the bottles of pesticides - I think I have only biologicals out there - and see if any of the labels mention stink bugs. Or maybe I'll put in my Foxgloves and go do some hand picking - I hve only seen these in one area and there can't be more than 20 or 30 of them - lots of eggs too, however.

Found a post on the pests forum (aka garden clinic) indicating that Neem works on these - and very quickly. Others say they just knock them into a bucket of soapy water.

Also read that when/if these guys make themselves at home in your garden, it is a bad thing. I'm usually pretty accomodating with insects I'm unfamiliar with, but I think I'll go after these guys and see if I can get rid of them before they multiply too far.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be out there tomorrow with my Neem. It's time to get the Remay out and cover the squashes & pumpkins, too - last ditch effort to beat the evil SVBorers. It means I'll have to hand-pollinate. I'm growing some butternuts, too, which are supposed to be resistant to SVB. If this doesn't work, I'm giving up - I don't really need to grow squash for the amount we eat, it's just the fun and challenge of growing my own edibles that keeps me at it. If SVB's get 'em again this year, I'll have to concede that most of the fun has gone out of it, ergo, I'll visit the farmstand instead and support my local growers.

I've had those for a long time and really only see them on snapdragons...I just knock them off. I haven't really seen any damage either. Now, if I could get rid of the 4 lines potato bugs that destroy nicotiana!

Ah ha...the mystery is solved. I have the same beetles on my snapdragons! Tons of them, couldn't figure out what they were as I've never seen them before. They've now migrated to the columbine right next door to the snapdragons. I thought they might be beneficial because they didn't appear to be causing any damage. After reading this thread, I'm going out to knock them all into a bucket of soapy water. Thanks for the info!

Oh, good, capecodder, I'm really relieved to hear that these guys are not going to turn into a Big Problem. I've been thinking back to the first time I saw a black vine weevil and thought "aw, he's so ugly he's kinda cute" and decided to let him live because he might be beneficial. Now my rhodies and a few other large plants are suffering, and I wonder if I could have averted the problem by acting quickly 15 years ago. If these guys just want to share my snaps, I'll take the casual approach and knock them into a bucket.

And, Wow! I can't believe how clean my fingers are in that photo. Won't look like that again until November.