You don't mention the shape of the beetle. There are ladybugs which are perfectly round, which are black with 1 or 2 red spots roughly in the center of their back. They are about 1/4 inch long.

You can go to bugguide.net and search for "ladybug" and you will find more colors than just red with black spots. Some are yellow orange, some orange, some red-orange, and some are black with red spots.

I just discovered a bunch of these in my garden. They are not ladybugs. They are very shiny, about 1/4 inch long, maybe just a little longer, and have one red spot in the middle of their backs. They are a little longer than wide as opposed to ladybugs which are more round. The ones I saw were eating a dried-up strawberry. I have never seen a beetle like this before. Would really like to know if they are a problem.

Pictures needed, please.....and your general location.

Here it is. I live near Portland, Oregon. That's a strawberry leaf it's on. Thanks for any help!

Thank you so much for identifying this bug! You know, I saw the adults in my garden earlier this year and just thought they were boxelder bugs! And the nymphs I assumed were beetles. Thank you for clarifying that. I will need to keep an eye on them - that bed has strawberries, tomatoes and squash - an apparent feast for these guys! Will be removing them by hand as much as possible - no chemical use in my garden. Thank you again!

This morning i found a whole heap of little black bugs with red spots on either side of their backs.

They were along my roof, on my clothes line and around the back door light' why are they here and how can i get rid of them.

1st time ever, i have seen these little bugs.

Help

Need a picture showing the red areas.

Very frustrating. Is there an answer to these questions sonewhere?We've also had the little black beetles with one red spspot show up by the hundreds, seemingly from nowhere. Are they beneficial or destructive?

HU, please start your own thread and include some good images. The reason why the older posts have not been answered is because the pictures are so terrible.

OK. here's my photo. I've identified it as Largus Californicus. What I want to know, and can't seem to find anywhere, is, are these bugs detrimental to my garden. So far, they seem to be good for my compost. They're voracious eaters of grapefruit rinds, if nothing else! I see they are "Not a pest of economic importance" but what about me? I just have a small garden.

These are "true bugs", and as such are piercing/sucking insects. Your image is of one of the nymphal stages; the adult looks quite different.

Their primary food source in all stages is plant material, preferably ripe fruit, berries, etc. They will also supplement their diet in the compost pile.

thank you for your input. Is there a photo of the adult you can lead me to? So I'm assuming this insect is NOT good to see in my garden. But IS GOOD for my compost. Correct?

My take on these insects is that their pest status depends on what you are growing in your garden. Strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, etc., might be an issue. They aren't interested in foliage.

I'd not do anything unless you start to see damage. Remember, they are piercing/sucking insects so their feeding may not cause noticeable issues.

Largus californicus from Google

Your insect is one of the Bordered Plant Bugs, it looks like your ID is correct.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/93846

Potential pest insects may not remain content to feed only out of the compost pile.

thank you for your advice. How would one go about getting rid of them organically do you think? They are already on the move and there are hundreds of them. So far my garden is about 50 feet away from my compost pile. Right now they're to the plum tree.

What I would do is apply a couple of good coats of Surround ® WP, a kaolin clay product that makes a slurry when mixed with water according to the directions. It will coat the fruit with the clay, making them unpalatable to chewing, sucking, boring, and egg laying insects and arachnids.

It also protects against sunscald and heat stress.

It's completely organic and safe for edibles. It does form a film that will need to be rinsed off before eating but I have found it very helpful with pests in my garden.

rhizo, you must spray that on somehow, right? can't imagine painting all my plums! or tomatoes. thank you so much for the advice!

Does the red spot on the californicus largus nymph mean they are poisonous?

No. They do not bite or sting and are not venomous.

Thanks for answering