Check out pics of Blister Beetles for comparison. It is that time of year here and tomato plants are one of their favorites.

Dave

Interesting; thanks for the pointer. I haven't seen any pictures of blister beetles with white spots, but Wikipedia claims there are 7,500 varieties, so... it seems plausible, at least!

Anything that can be done about them?

Oladon, when I saw the thread title, I thought it would be about potato beetles or flea beetles.

Potato beetles only show up on my tomatoes every 5 or 6 years. The plants must be several steps below the pests preference for potatoes and eggplant. Flea beetles are on the tomatoes every year but not always real damaging. This year the tomatoes took a bad hit from the flea beetles. I really should have sprayed them.

One can understand why spinosad would work on potatoes bugs. Especially the lava do not travel far or fast. Flea beetles chew on lots of plants and are very active. They will jump in every direction if I move close to see the pits these beetles chew in leaves. Spinosad probably doesn't have much persistence, flea beetles are everywhere in the environment, why would it help the tomatoes? But when I have used it on the plants, it does deter the pests. The tomatoes will look healthier in a few days. Maybe it will work for you.

Steve

Oladon, we could offer much better if you could provide pictures. All these good people are doing is guessing!

I'm not at all convinced that the culprits are even beetles at all, but one of the true bugs or nymph of a true bug.

Good news: I managed to get a few pictures!

I found these two critters in my kitchen (and not on/in a tomato). I /believe/ the one with spots is the kind I've seen in my tomatoes. I'm thinking the other looks like a soldier beetle?

Sorry for the photo quality... hopefully this helps, though!

Thanks, digdirt2 -- those definitely look like the same things!

I really dislike ripening tomatoes inside, but I guess I might have to do that if these guys keep showing up.