unknown bug loves ipomoea (swt. potato, etc.)

[dandelion meadow]

This is a new one to me. At first, the holes in the sweet potato plants looked like the work of snails. I did notice a few little interesting bugs on the leaves but couldn't believe they were the culprits. Anyway, surely the vines would outgrow the problem with the help of a little Sluggo (great stuff). Well, the SP's began to really leaf out and vine. The holes multiplied and followed the new growth. Whatever it was did most of its feeding before full daylight. Early morning check last weekend showed many more of the little bugs, which do seem to be the cause.Three mornings of pest patrol have diminished their numbers...some. A neighbor morning glory is riddled with holes.
So what are they? About the size of a lady beetle but more flat. Outer "shell" - wings look similar to a Darth Vader head sheild. Color pattern: black outline to sheild with a black cross in middle connecting sides of sheild. The four symmetrical spaces this creates are copper-gold and very shiny like metal. Its defences include rolling off leaf onto ground and flying off. Nothing like it in the books I have.

[Lavandula Girl]

Is it a tortoise beetle? They're known to eat sweet potato leaves, and also nightshades like potato and eggplant, and are supposed to live in the eastern protion of the US.

[dandelion meadow]

Lavandula Girl,
You're right! A quick search on internet showed many variations on this beetle: "...extremely polymorphic in color (Vasconcellos-Neto 1988), and most of the color forms have been described as separate species." Some sites say little damage is done, one site praised it for controlling bindweed (could have used it in another garden 15 years ago!). Some sites say it can damage crops. Several generations per year! Thanks for the lead.

[Lavandula Girl]

Glad to be able to help! I wish i could find one that would eat only poison ivy.... I'm very itchy after pulling a bunch today, and I was careful!

[dandelion meadow]

Overheard a couple of weeks ago: a lady hosting a garage sale said that she curbed her poison ivy outbreak with plain old white vinegar. This was confirmed by another person there (who knew of someone else having same results). They were in agreement that this doesn't work for everyone. Worth a try - cheap.
So I've been using it on chigger bites. Either I've toughened up a lot since spring or this does seem to reduce overall length of time of itchiness. Warning: when first applied, it stings a lot (especially where skin is raw from scratching) and feels like the itch is intensified. Awful. But, as it dries, the itchiness is much less as a rule...

[Lavandula Girl]

huh - I'd only ever heard of it as a sunburn thing.... I haven't been susceptible to poison ivy since I was a camp counselor in college.... I built up a resistance to that and the mosquitoes, hiking in the woods, and out there on the soccer pitch and the archery range every day! There was just an article in the Washington Post a couple days ago, though, saying that the higher CO2 levels in the atmosphere due to global warming are causing really hardy and virulent poison ivy to grow, and it's growing at greater rates than ever! Figures! It got through my gloves, so I have it on both hands, and although I never remember touching my neck or my legs (the legs were covered!!) i have it there too. Boo hoo hoo :(