It's the four lined plant bug. The damage shown is caused by them. The browns spots can later fall out and leave a hole. Cut the plants down in the fall, because they lay eggs in the stems and will hatch out in the spring.

Looks more like the Stripped Cucumber Beetle to me than the Four Lined Bug.
Many people will tell you to diligently clean up any organic matter from your garden in the fall becasue many pests can use that as cover to overwint, but so do many beneficials, many of the predators that can help control these insect pests so diligent cleaning on the garden also removes the winter shelter the predators need.

Here is a link that might be useful: FourLlined Bug

They look very similar, but I'm still leaning towards the FLPB. Can you get a close up of your bug honnat?

I agree that this is the FLPB. It is clearly a 'true bug' and not a beetle, for one thing. The damage is also what we can expect from the FLPB.

Kimmsr, That is a problem for me. I must get rid of the four-lined bug as it does so much ugly damage to many of my plants. So last year I cut back all perennials and placed trimmings in the woods behind my house. That way, I thought, maybe some of the good guys could survive. I had much less four-lined bug damage initially but recently have more. Since they are in the flying stage now, I believe they have worked their way back into my yard.

They are a hideous problem in greenhouses and field grown chrsanth crops around here. The pressure doesn't even have to be high, only a few will cause a lot of damage. I have found soap sprays to be effective on them when needed, and soft on the plants.

Thanks for all the help. I actually used a soap spray a couple days ago and it seemed to do the trick. I'll keep my eye out and take your advice to cut the plants back in the fall and dispose of them outside the garden. Hope it helps.