Quite the opposite.. That appears to be a larval ladybug, a beneficial insect for gardens.

a larval ladybug

Agree.

Dave

Agree agree. :) they are known to eat aphids, several per day. You might also want to check the link below, which shows what the pupa looks like. That's the stage between this and the familiar ladybug adult stage.

I have several all over my strawberry plants and I enjoy watching them. They are very active!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ladybug Pupa

Thanks so much! I am fairly new to gardening and I have not learned the various pest (good or bad) yet. I will add this photo to my almanac to I know they are good to have around.

Thanks again and Happy Gardening!!!!

When I first started, I took a kill first, ask questions later approach, but time and again I'd end up killing a good bug or at least something neutral.. I've found that actual pests are far outnumbered by neutral/good.

If you want to take a no risk approach, I suggest keeping a jar or something handy so you can catch whatever bug you find on your plants, then hold it captive while IDing it. Then if it's a good one, you can let it go.

That's a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.