What are these beetles on my Lavatera?
 

There are a number of beetles on our Lavatera and runner beans (which are
next to one another).
They seem to be just sitting there in the sun doing nothing - but are they
(or their grubs) likely to be causing a problem?
A photo of the bugs is here
http://www.ingenotech.com/tmp/bugsonlavatera.jpg

The runner beans havn't produced any actual beans at all this year - they
flowered but then the flowers all just fell off without producing a pod.

Thanks for any info!

Ed

In message , edrandall
writes

There are a number of beetles on our Lavatera and runner beans (which
are
next to one another).
They seem to be just sitting there in the sun doing nothing - but are
they
(or their grubs) likely to be causing a problem?
A photo of the bugs is here
http://tinyurl.com/a7k8d

The bigger one, at least, is a (true) bug, not a beetle (as I found out
when I asked for a "beetle" identification on the natural history
group). Google for Green Shield Bug. I've got them on my Lavateras as
well.

IIRC, I'm told that they don't do enough damage to be worth worrying
about.

Also, IIRC, they don't have grubs, but nymphs. (A nymph is a smaller,
wingless, version of the adult.) The smaller one may well be a nymph.

The runner beans havn't produced any actual beans at all this year -
they
flowered but then the flowers all just fell off without producing a
pod.

Thanks for any info!

Ed
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley
http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Lavatera/Lavatera.html