help with insect id

[Salty Thumb]

hey everyone,

can someone help me ID an insect? The insect is a bettle, yellow color with black spots. I always thought it was a colorado potato bettle, but then I looked that up and it doesn't look anything like it.

The spots are arranged like this: (- is the head)

_ooo ooo

below and offset about 1/2 a spot from the top spots are another row of 3 spots more or less on the sides of the bettle. bettle is approximately 8 mm in length (6 mm body, 2 mm head, antenna length ~7mm) and 3 mm in body width. carapace is not as round as a red ladybug. it's rather rectanglur. spots are not perfectly round either, having about the same proportions as the bettle's body. spots are a little over 1 mm in diameter.

I've seen them in my garden, but this particular one was loitering around inside the house. Right now he's under a glass and depending on what you guys tell me, he'll either go smushy or get out of jail free.

I thought someone posted an insect id site earlier, but I can't find it now.

Thanks for any help,

-- ST

[JNJ]

How about a cucumber beetle?

[Salty Thumb]

"JNJ" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Yes! That's exactly it. Thanks!

The websites you provided don't make it out to be especially pestilent, but inclined to go smushy on this guy. Anybody think I should let it go?

Thanks again,

- ST

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) "JNJ" wrote in :) news: [e-mail]: :) :) >> can someone help me ID an insect? The insect is a bettle, yellow :) >> color with black spots. I always thought it was a colorado potato :) >> bettle, but then I looked that up and it doesn't look anything like :) >> it. :) >>

:) >> The spots are arranged like this: (- is the head) :) >>

:) >> _ooo :) >> ooo :) >>

:) >>

:) >> below and offset about 1/2 a spot from the top spots are another row :) >> of 3 spots more or less on the sides of the bettle. bettle is :) >> approximately 8 mm in length (6 mm body, 2 mm head, antenna length :) >> ~7mm) and 3 mm in body width. carapace is not as round as a red :) >> ladybug. it's rather rectanglur. spots are not perfectly round :) >> either, having about the same proportions as the bettle's body. spots :) >> are a little over 1 mm in diameter. :) >>

:) >> I've seen them in my garden, but this particular one was loitering :) >> around inside the house. Right now he's under a glass and depending :) >> on what you guys tell me, he'll either go smushy or get out of jail :) >> free. :) >>

:) >> I thought someone posted an insect id site earlier, but I can't find :) >> it now. :) > :) > How about a cucumber beetle? :) > :) >

> :) > > :) > > :) > > m :) > :) > James :) :) :) Yes! That's exactly it. Thanks! :) :) The websites you provided don't make it out to be especially pestilent, but :) inclined to go smushy on this guy. Anybody think I should let it go? :) :) Thanks again, They can spread a type of vine wilt from plant to plant. Here is another site..

[Salty Thumb]

Lar wrote in news: [e-mail]:

striped cucumber bettles.

At any rate, Clarence is about to take a swim with the fishies.

[Lar]

In article , [e-mail] says... :) okay, but Clarence is a spotted cucumber bettle. The page you list is for :) striped cucumber bettles. :) :) Well all righty..how about..

I think naming your garden pest is just a step away from naming your pre butchered Thanksgiving dinner. :/

[JNJ]

You're welcome.

If you have a vegetable garden then no -- you'll need to handle them before a large population is able to build up. They tend to prefer the tender young growth and can transmit bacteria wilt from plant to plant; the larvae will eat growth underground. FWIW, striped or spotted, the issues and resolutions are typically the same.

Control measures vary. Natural predators include braconid wasp, tachinid flies, and beneficial nematodes. (Nematodes are good because they interrupt the life cycle -- they get the larvae in the ground before they mature to adults.) I've read that planting nasturtiums, catnip, tansy, or radishes near your veges will help keep them at bay but I've never tried it. You can spray with Neem as well.

Hope that helps!

James