Little flying red and black bugs/insects

[Cyn]

I have had the same pests the past two years. They are flying creatures, very pretty red and black. They seem to leave a very small blister on the tomatoes - the tomatoes are, for the most part, still edible, sometimes a black bit inside where they have been. They don't so much fly around the tomato patch as they flush out of the plants when I am in there picking. I have used BT but with really no impact.

Also, last summer, a few tomatoes have really perfect round holes in them - something had burrowed through and eaten, then left - the part of the tomato not eaten was fine.

any suggestions on what these might be (same pest or different) and what might help this season would be appreciated.

Cyn

[Suze]

I have had the same pests the past two years. They are flying creatures, very pretty red and black. They seem to leave a very small blister on the tomatoes - the tomatoes are, for the most part, still edible, sometimes a black bit inside where they have been. They don't so much fly around the tomato patch as they flush out of the plants when I am in there picking. I have used BT but with really no impact.

Cyn, this sounds like leaf footed bugs -- a common pest here. BT is not going to help. Insecticidal soaps supposedly have an effect on the nymphs, but not the adults. Very difficult to kill unless one breaks out the big guns (carbaryl aka Sevin). The best way I've found to deal with them is to just plant lots and lots of ornamental millet and hollyhocks well away from the patch. They much prefer these plants to tomatoes, especially the millet. I rarely have any leaf footed or stink bug damage to any of my tomatoes, but the millet is covered in 'em.

Also, the kaolin clay sprays like Surround WP that coat the plant are also supposed to deter leaf footed and stink bugs.

http://images.google.com/images?q=le...=Search+Images

Also, last summer, a few tomatoes have really perfect round holes in them - something had burrowed through and eaten, then left - the part of the tomato not eaten was fine.

any suggestions on what these might be (same pest or different) and what might help this season would be appreciated.

Probably some sort of caterpillar, like a tomato pinworm/fruitworm/cornworm. The BT may help somewhat with that if used on a regular basis (once a week). Keep in mind that the worms need to ingest the BT first before it has any effect -- it doesn't kill on contact). Also, frequently inspecting the plants and picking worms off in the spring before the population can get too out of control is a big help.

[Cyn]

Thanks for the input - I am actually planning to start a hollyhock patch in another part of the garden, so perhaps they'll move over there. They are quite pretty bugs, and not too destructive - just pesky.
Cyn

[MsCowpea]

Wonder if your black and red insects could have been nymphs of leaf-footed bugs? (they are kind of orangey-red)

http://bugguide.net/node/view/33081/bgimage

Another possibility is nymphs of stinkbug.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/E/I-HM-ECON-EG.001.html

A 'good' stinkbug is predatory stinkbug, and one kind is red and black.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EDISImagePa...te%20Schimming

But they would not cause the damage you are describing. Did you see any adult leaf-footed bugs or stinkbugs?

Another red and black is harlequin bug--they can be found on tomatoes but it is not their preferred host crop.
http://entweb.clemson.edu/cuentres/c...s/veg/ce20.htm

Can't think of anything else but maybe others can.

[MsCowpea]

Suze, oops , did not see your post as I was typing and had to keep getting up to answer pesky creatures living with me. Agree about the LF nymphs or maybe stinkbugs. Would be nice if she could ID adults.

farkee/MCP

[Cyn]

Thanks for the photos - I am going to show them to my partner and see which ones it might be. They all kind of look right - LOL - I am not much of an insect person, but these photos are a great place to start.
Cyn

[Cyn]

OK, I finally got my insect expert partner to look at these - the consensus is the red & black stinkbugs. I do think I saw some leafr-footed bugs as well.

It is hard to know whether to try to control these or not - they don't seem too problematic, just annoying.

Cyn

[MsCowpea]

Down here in my garden their populations build up to high levels and they pierce and suck on the tomatoes so much that I don't eat those with stinkbug damage.
I don't consider them benign at all. I hand pick them though it takes practice to catch the sneaky critters. I especially look out for nymphs that congregate in little group meetings.

[Cyn]

what about diatomatios earth? sorry about the spelling.
Cyn

[MsCowpea]

I think a better route may be a product called Surround as it is mixable and sprayable. Same idea though--covers the plant with thin layer of powder. It would be hard to get diatomaceous earth evenly and completely over the whole plant. I would think Surround would prevent insects from laying their eggs on the plant too.

I want to try that product too. I have it but have not used it yet. Plus I am VERY BAD when it comes to keeping up with spraying as it needs to be reapplyed occasionally. farkee

[MikeInCypress]

Leaf footed bugs are the scourge of my patch. The only control for the adults that works for me is Thiodan. But Thiodan damages the plants when temps are over about 85 degrees. Neem controls the nymphs when applied vigilantly. try to control them early in the season as they do multiply. Plants that are attacked early are the same as the ones attacked late. Good luck.

Michael