Check Baldo Villegas "Bugs & Roses" web site.

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: Bugs & Roses Web Site

Could be a developing ladybug. They go through some ugly stages of growth where they look like an ugly elongated ladybug imposter.

Cheers,
Michelle

While I'm not saying that's what you have (I need to see a picture for that), there are indeed ladybug species that are all black with just a pair of red spots on the back.

I'll agree with york rose.

I get lots of ladybugs in my roses and I've seen all sort. I get them that are mainly red, mainly orange, almost not dots, lots of dots, so many dots that there's almost no "background" color and so they look like black ladybugs.

The only other bugs that I have personally seen that look even remotely like a ladybug is the cucumber beetles. But those have a more oblong body and usually more of a yellow body with black spots.

Ok, I'm pretty sure this is a lady bug. I did find a picture on the website that Jeri posted that looked just like my little bug. I'm glad I found her! At least something is helping me with my aphids!

There is like 100 varities of ladybugs. Colors include for base red, orange, black and yellow. Dots can be either black, red or orange and vary from 1 to many. Size can also change depending on type. I did a search on the awhile back looking for some story history on them.

Ladybugs constitute one of the (very many) beetle families, and with the glaring exception of one subfamily (which contains the Mexican bean beetle, among other pests) they are all predators with a special fondness for aphids, scales, mealybugs, and other slow moving, sap-sucking insects.

It is called a stabbed twice lady bug.
Liane