Hi GH How lovely to hear from you again any chance of a photo of that Beast who is doing so much damage to you zucchini. I have looked up my pest and disease book and the only ones that love zucchini are pumpkin beetle, red-shouldered beetle,leaf eating ladybird, two spotted mite and white fly try googling those and see if it comes up.. I have put a link to white fly on do have a look ...Cheers..MM.

Here is a link that might be useful: Whitefly

Hi MM, I took a couple of photos but my camera isn't up to close-ups so they aren't very clear. I've checked out pumpkin beetle, red-shouldered and ladybird but they are all much to big. These are definitely a beetle but only about 1mm long. Look like a creamy coloured ladybird in miniature. Even put one under my son's microscope thingy to have a closer look.

I put a matchstick in this photo for size comparison.

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And this photo shows what they are doing to the plant. There has been a few aphids on the plant but not enough to do any damage and they are gone now.

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Hi GH,

Just a question. Have you got aphids on the leaf as well as these things?

Cheers,
Dee.

Hi Dee, had a few earlier but they didn't affect the plants and I got rid of them anyway. The plants were looking good but I didn't get into the garden for a few days and when I came back they looked like this. I couldn't see any aphids the other day. There seems to be what looks like manure spots on the leaves too but there was a couple of small caterpillars - the chooks enjoyed them.

My first thought was the aphids had come back but I can't see any.

I've been through my insect books and browsed the net but haven't seen any insects/beetles like these. The plants were large, spread well over a metre wide and every leaf had dozens of these beetles. They did have a couple of spots of mildew starting a week or so ago but I took those leaves off & the rest seemed fine.

Hi again GH Are you sure they are not a pre-adult version of the white fly just asking as there is this about them on that link *Not only do they feed on plants, but they also produce honeydew, which spoils the plants' appearance, attracts ants and black sooty mould. Whiteflies can also transmit plant viruses *

Stab in the dark though, could you bottle a few up and take it to your Local council why don't you give the DPI a ring they may point you in the right direction for info.. I am sorry I do not recognize them at all have a look at the link below it has close up pics of the immature whitefly. similar shape to a beetle .. MM.

Here is a link that might be useful: Immature Whitefly

MM has said what I was about to say. I believe there is also a Silverleaf whitefly which has only been around since about 1994. Could also be nymph stage of that.

Thanks for the help MM & Dee. It definitely isn't the immature whitefly. I wish I could get a decent picture but my poor litle camera just isn't up to the job :( might be a good excuse to buy a new one :)

I will have to take some in to DPI or somewhere. When I first saw them my first thought was a very rounded type of scale but, even though they aren't very active, they will move if disturbed on 6 legs. Don't know if they fly though. I also thought it might have been a type of ladybird but besides the common ones I can't find a lot of information on other types, and besides the 28 spot, I don't know any that would cause this sort of damage especially when there isn't any sign of anything else that would cause it.

I've played around with the photos again - cropping and sharpening, etc but I can't get it much clearer but here is an even closer one. Doesn't look to bad on my computer but when I put it in photobucket it doesn't look as clear.

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I found the same bugs on my zucchini plant and they are killing it. I just sprinkled some Seven on it and hope it will work and they don't go onto any of my other plants.
Are there any other recommendations?