You should post this in the PEST forum. I'd get out there with some commercial insecticidal soap....like right NOW! Don't know who your critter is, though. Seems bigger than a flea beetle (of which there are many species).

I tapped many of them into a bowl of soapy water...don't want to use insecticides if I can help it (unless it is a systemic)...I have many beneficials in that garden I am trying to protect...

I will go post of Pest forum....

Does it look like a gold ladybug? I can't really tell from the picture.

Does it look like this?

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jauwaert/Beetle_0007.jpg

ha ha just a joke.

does your perp look like this? you have to scroll down to find the gold beetle.

According to the website, its called Metriona bicolor (Chrysomelidae).

I bought a potato vine just because I saw one of these on it. I was amazed how pretty it was. It look just like a living gold beetle like Joan Rivers sells on her show. -- Only its tiny and alive!

The girl at the store told me I could spray the vine to get rid of them but in fact I wanted to attract them so thats why I bought the vine. Haven't seen any though.

I certainly would not want as many as you got.

That's not it...it is only slighly metallic, too.

They can't even ID it over on the Pests forum...so I guess this is one odd bug.

-- Whoops, sorry, I did not post the hyperlink in my message. This is it.

http://www.phasmidsincyberspace.com/LocalAnimalPictures.htm

I am talking about the bug on the guy's finger but I guess its not it since you said it was only slightly metalic in appearence. This baby looks like 24 kt gold.

webkat

It sort of looks like the beetle linked below. In particular, the "abrupt, sharply margined apical declivity" (the way its back end abruptly drops off). What do you think?

They're supposed to feed on woody vegetation but have been seen elsewhere.

It may be this one instead: Phaedon desotonis Balsbaugh (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a Coreopsis (Asteraceae) pest new to Florida. You don't say where you live, but it's a pest to Coreopsis.

If you can catch one, I'd suggest you take it to the country extension agency in your area and get them to identify it. Take the pictures, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Asian Ambrosia Beetle