Help identify this bug (ID: mottled tortoise beetle--harmful

[tumana]

Hey guys,

I found this bug in my garden and was trying to identify whether it was a helpful bug (I hear ladybugs are good for vegetable gardens) or harmful.

Any chance someone might help me identify it? Is this a type of ladybug?

[img]https://iangetz.com/helpfulgardener/2012-05-20_17.20.35.jpg[/img]
[img]https://iangetz.com/helpfulgardener/2012-05-20_17.21.28.jpg[/img]
[img]https://iangetz.com/helpfulgardener/2012-05-20_17.21.47.jpg[/img]
[img]https://iangetz.com/helpfulgardener/2012-05-20_17.21.59.jpg[/img]

I did confirm it has wings under there because it flew a few feet trying to get away from me.

I had a small problem with ants the other day. And I recently found a 1/4" tunnel in the dirt adjacent to my tomato plant. So I've been very alert for any bugs lately.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Have a nice day,
Ian Getz

[GardenRN]

That's a tortoise beetle. I think that's a "mottled tortoise beetle". Had to do some googling, I've never seen one of those before. Pretty cool! As to beneficial or not, I forgot to look lol. But now you have a jumping point.

[GardenRN]

Looked some more, not beneficial, sorry. Squish it. Looks like they particularly like going after eggplants. But would probably go for tomatoes, potatoes and the like. Who knows what else. That's just from a quick google and an arkansas pest management website. Feel free to do more research if ya like. Good luck!

[tumana]

Thanks, GardenRN!

I tried googling ladybugs, different species of Coccinellidae, and even looked on this site which I found in another thread. https://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

I could not find anything. I later found it in the Bug Guide but only when I knew the name.

It appears you're right about "mottled tortoise beetle" because those images look exactly like the bug I found. That sucks though because I read they feed extensively on leaves and, if the plants are still young, can kill the plant.

Not knowing what it was I simply carried it to the other side of the yard and threw it in the trees. I might have to squash it next time I see it though.

[tumana]

Here is another person who encountered a mottled tortoise beetle

[img]https://i1103.photobucket.com/albums/g472/TheMountainsortheBeach/5-31-11/102_3866.jpg[/img]

The beetle matches mine exactly.

[GardenRN]

Glad we could figure it out! I got lucky and found a few pics when I did an image search for "clear beetle".

It was a good idea not to kill it before you knew what it was. I used to get over zealous about that and I found out once, I had killed a bunch of ladybug larvae.

Now I'm much more careful.

[mscratch]

that is certainly one creepy little alien looking bug! first time I have ever seen one.

[applestar]

I usually say ID first, but I found the exact same bug on my Matt's Wild Cherry tomato yesterday for the first time ever in my garden. I thought it was an usually giant scale insect (on an outdoor plant? On a tomato?) and plucked it off and squished it.

Thanks! Glad to find out what it was and that it was a pest. There were several holes in the plant where there were none the day before though not sure if that's related.

I recently found a 1/4" tunnel in the dirt

Ths could have been a night crawler (earthworm) coming up to look around during the night.

[GardenRN]

That's exactly what they do, chew little holes in the foliage.

I was out in the garden this morning and low and behold, there was one on my potatoes. I wouldn't have even noticed it if it wasn't for this thread, It looked like a wet piece of dirt. I tried to snatch it up but it flew off into the neighbors yard. (oops) maybe it'll stay there. Didn't see any more, let's hope it stays that way!

[sheeshshe]

yep! I get those EVERY year on my tomato plants. thankfully they're not too damaging, they seem really slow at making the holes.