I have several shrubs and bushes that have been eaten up and I'm not sure what is eating it and how to fight it!
The leaves have holes and big chunks missing. The plants are suffering quite a bit. Some of them even turning black in spots! Lately I've come across an earworm so I thought that might be the problem. But then I also discovered this bug and I don't know if it's causing the holes or if it's friendly?
Please let me know if you know what bug this is and also how to try to fight my pest issue.
Thanks
P.

Yes it probably is the culprit.

I couldn't find that bug on 3 'bug finder" sites so we can't be sure the one in the pic is the chewer, but something certainly is. I'd take the bug and the leaf to a local plant place; they'll probably be able to ID both the bug and the right treatment for the plant.

Hi, phil,
Very good photographs!
I agree with taking the bug, if you can get one, and some of the leaves to a store, such as a Farm Store, or Souther States, etc, in whatever area in which you live.
If you can't do that, then invest in a 1 gallon sprayer, plastic, not expensive, and buy a bottle of pesticide; such as used for vegatables, etc. It will probably keep the critters off your plants.
Sevin is a good brand name. You can either get it as a powder, sprinkle some over the plants, or it also comes in a liquid to mix with water in a sprayer.
Best of luck.

What you're looking at appears to be a ladybug larva.

http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm

As ladybugs and the larva are aphid eaters, they aren't causing that damage. ;)

They are beneficial to gardens, so I wouldn't try to get rid of them.


More Ladybug lifecycle info.

Thanks so much for all your replies. This was very helpful!
:)
P.