SOS ASAP New Bug

[carolyn137]

Freda is here this AM to plant the tomato plants that Craig bought here to me from NC and they arrived a week ago last Thursday and were in fine shape and have been until Freda just came in now with a leaflet that had three bugs on it and there were huge holes in the leaves. More than one plant is affected.

All I can tell you is that the bugs are about 1/4 inch long, are oval and Freda says they're very hard when she squeezes them to kill them. And they have lots of legs, I thought those legs looked reddish when I looked at them and the bug itself is dark brown or black.

No camera here and nothing more I can tell you except there are none of these bugs on any of the other plants out back waiting to be planted and those are all various perennials.

I've never seen such bugs before in many decades of growing tomatoes and in several parts of the country, so am asking if my description sounds familiar to anyone and if so, what insecticide might be used to control this problem?

I'll be honest with you, I want something that will control this problem NOW and at this point don't care if someone suggests TNT, well, you get my point. That is, as Freda said, if you don't do something quick you aren't going to have ANY tomato plants at all.

So there you are.

I'm watching tennis from the French Open but will check here from time to time to see if anyone has a suggestion as to what these bugs are and what can be used to control them and it has to be something that my local Agway has or can order ASAP.

Thanks ever so much.