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Hi Mr. Bugman,
I’ve just visited your website for the first time and thought that I’d submit a critter for identification.
I found these little red and black "beetle" looking critters on my Arbiacola plants out in the back yard in the shade. There were about 20 or so of them sort of hearded together. Later I went back and took this photo in hopes of identifying them. They’re poised on my Pentas that are near the Arbiacola plants and surrounded with ferns. These little bugs are about the size of the tip of my finger…not to big at all. I don’t believe them to be the typical "Lady Bug" though they do somewhat resemble them.
I really enjoyed my visit on your site….thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us "buggies" …you’ve got "buggies" instead of "groupies" I’m a musician.
Thanks,
Michelle

Dear Michelle,
They are not beetles, but True Bugs, Hemipterans. We couldn’t give you an exact identification, so I contacted Weiping at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. He wrote this reply: “Sorry to answer you late. The picture you attached should be immature Hemiptera. It is hard to identify the specimen in immature stage. Probably, you ask the sender to pay attention on the bugs. I am sure the adults should be coming soon.” I actually thought I might be able to give you something more concrete. There is a Family of True Bugs known as Red Bugs or Stainers, Pyrrhocoridae. They are described by Borror and Delong as “elongate oval bugs that are usually brightly marked with red and black. … They are phytophagous and gregarious.” In other words, they are ravenous plant pests. They are common in the South and it appears as though you are from Florida.

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