yeah, that's what i thought, too. but over on the tomato forum, they id'd it as leaf-footed stink bug nymph. check out the color plates: http://ftsg.ifas.ufl.edu/LFBIBC.HTM i sprayed some pyrethrin and smushed the ones i could find. at this point in the game, the tomatoes are pretty unhealthy. if this does the trick, great. i'll count my blessings to have had fresh tomatoes from march to july. if not, hello fried green tomatoes and southern peas!

Those critters are beneficial but they are true bugs and can give you a mean bite. I wouldn't want them inside if you have inside citrus but I leave them alone outside. They prey on other bugs and worms so they can lend you a helping hand. The caveat is they are pretty non-discriminant and I have seen them eating ladybug larvae which are really great to have around. Ladybug larvae eat aphids like candy!

Sorry - dish soap and water will have NO effect on scale!! These are a type of armored scale and dish soap/insecticidal soap have little to no effect as they are primarily intended for soft bodied insects. Horticultural oil is the usual recommendation but you might need to pay attention to the timing of the spray. Oyster shell scale is not overly harmful to the tree itself so just washing off the fruit and peeling and eating as Jean suggested may be all that is necessary.

Looks like a outdoor cricket as usually black crickets are outdoor. Btw, a TIP FOR ANYONE wanting to identify bugs I use “picture insect” the app and identify insects!! It’s free.