Expert: Eric R. Eaton - 5/28/2008

Question
I live in the Los Angeles area, about 30 miles inland, suburban.  We have a
small beetle in the vegetable garden which I would like to get identified.  
They are plentiful during the spring; are found crawling on the ground, often
scurry out from under plant material; 1.25 cm. long or less; .5 cm wide;  
ventral abdomen gray, dorsal abdomen rusty red; wings charcoal black; red
eyes; red edge to the sides of the thorax; body shape long oval (almost
teardrop); mate with rear end to rear end; a black line down the middle of the
ventral surface of the thorax; have never seen one fly or on plants; causes no
damage that I am aware of.  Is there a good on-line site for identifying
insects by picture?

Answer
Hi, Donna:

Thank you for your very detailed description!  It shows you are already quite knowledgeable.

The creature in question is not a beetle but a "true bug" in the order Hemiptera, suborder Heteroptera.  Specifically, I believe the insect to be the "red-shouldered bug," or "golden raintree bug," Jadera haematoloma, in the family of scentless plant bugs (Rhopalidae).  I don't know much about them, but I don't believe they are anything more than a nuisance pest.

There are fine images of this insect at:

http://www.bugguide.net

where you can also post your own images of mystery bugs in the "ID Request" section, for future reference.  I know there are several online fact sheets with .edu web addresses that will also be helpful to you.

Please feel free to get back to me if this is definitely NOT your critter, but then please be prepared with more details.

Eric R. Eaton
author, "Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America"
http://community.webtv.net/bugeric/BugEric