silver and black beetle id

13 years ago

Friend or foe? Small beetle slightly larger than a ladybug, Black body, underside tail half is white with a line of black spots down middle, back has a slightly shield shaped gray or silver or dirty white with 3 small rectangular spots on it, body is top half solid black half way down then the light colored part , almost a tuxedo effect. I've checked 4 beetle websites and looked thru 3 garden books and can't id, I'm HOPING its a beneficial come to eat aphids because I have lots of these beetles

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Comments (6)

jean001a
13 years ago
Any chance of images?
TxCarol
Original Author
13 years ago
i'll try, not very tech savvy!
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
The description sounds more like one of the "true bugs", rather than a beetle. Maybe a nymph of one of the true bugs.

Anyway, please tell us the kinds of plants that these insects seem to attracted to ad well ad any damage you might notice, if any.
TxCarol
Original Author
13 years ago
follow up - found a very similar bug in the stink bug category so assuming its one. It doesn't have the shield shaped back like i think of a stink bug but rather a white shield on its rounded shell, but looks very much like a pic i found. Its on my brassica that is (was) covered in aphids? so I'm hoping its a beneficial come for dinner
TxCarol
Original Author
13 years ago
OK, so found another site that called shield bugs "bad", so do I try to get rid of these? HELP!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
Sorry, Tx....we can't ID it further for you without a picture. There is a huge number of true bugs (stink bugs, shield hugs, etc.) found in our gardens. Many of them are beneficial. You should look at pictures of assassin bugs, too.