Sammy, Cucumber beetles come both in a striped version and a spotted version. I know it must be something different from the standard rose pests because I'm sure you've seen plenty of them in your many years of growing roses. If it is about the same size as a spotted cucumber beetle or just a bit bigger than a lady bug, then it likely is a striped cucumber beetle. If it is about 2-3 times as long as the cucumber beetles and lady bugs, it probably is a blister bug or one of its relatives. Page down on the linked website from the Univ. of Conn. to see a striped cucumber beetle. Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: UConn Hort Website w/Image of Stripe Cuke Beetle

I think I figured out what I have. Bean Leaf Beetles: Bean Leaf Beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata): Adult beetles are reddish to yellowish in color, 1/4 inch long, have three or four black spots in a row along the inner edge of wing covers, and a black band occurs near the outer margins of wing covers. Larvae are whitish, dark brown at both ends, segmented, and have six small legs near the head. Adults chew holes in leaves, feeding on them from the under surface; larvae feed on roots, nodules, and on stems just below the soil surface, which can girdle the plant. more pics of them here (they do appear in yellow as well, which might have added to my confusion): http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/coleoptera/beanlb/blb_yellow_red.html http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1185.html http://www.oznet.k-state.edu/dp_hfrr/extensn/problems/beanleaf.htm They don't seem to kill the plants, for me they've just been a pain in the ass. Luckily, this year (so far) I've seen far fewer than last year. (Though last year was horrible for a lot of things. We had Japanese Beetles everywhere.) It's a very strange thing. I've combed through my gardening books (the main ones being E. Smith's Vegetable Gardener's Bible and Rodale's Encyc. of Organic Gardening) and none of them mention Bean Leaf Beetles. Perhaps I just missed it somehow.

Won't help this year, but next year, before the bugs arrive, us floating row covers and leave them in place until the plants need pollination.

They will eat anything they find, they aren't that fuzzy if that is what's available to them.. this year, the beetles are even eating my pepper plants, which usually has never happened in my garden.. try neem oil, it's most effective pesticide that sticks to leaves when leaves get wet from rain, just be sure to spray both top and underside of the leaves. buy a concentrate that way you can adjust the amount. a dusting of diatomaceous earth works great when conditions are dry.