Insect

[owner2]

I'm trying to identify an insect I saw in my back garden.I've tried the UK insect books without success and I've looked online.It was about the size of a beetle but was grey and thinner..It had 2 sets of red horizontal stripes and 4 white dots in the centre.I've never seen one before.I live near Glasgow if that's any help.

[wildwood]

Owner2, there are about 400,000 species of beetles in the world and probably over 1 million other insects.

You will have a far better chance of a successful answer if you take a piccy and post it on a free image host, with a link to here.

[owner2]

Thanks Wildwood but I didn't have my camera with me when I saw the insect.I thought it would be easy to find in an Insect Guide but it wasn't.If I see it again I'll take a picture.

[gen2]

Could you please be a little more precise?
You say 'the size of a beetle, but beetles range in size from around a millimetre to several centimetres.
Is what we are trying to identify also a beetle? or a bug? or a fly? You don't say.

[gen2]

Also, which direction is "horizontal"? Head to tail or side to side?

[gen2]

How many red stripes are there in a 'set'?

[Robinia]

As the others have said we need more info...

Rosemary beetle?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Chrysolina-americana-1.jpg

[Jemisa]

err? Grey with 2 sets of red lines + 4 white spots Robinia? I don't think so.

jem

[Robinia]

well it's a start...if we eliminate that one there's only 399,999 more to go.

[owner2]

It wasn't a Rosemary Beetle.It was flatter than a common beetle and maybe about 2cm long.Beetle is the nearest to it in the Insect Guide I looked at but it may not be one!I'm afraid I'm not an expert.The insect was grey.There were 4 white spots in a square formation in the middle of the body .On either side of the spots were about 4 red stripes going from side to side. I've looked for it in the UK Insect Guide with no success.

[emeritus]

Have a look at Shield Bugs on Google Images If it was a flatter shape they come in a variety of different colours.

[Robinia]

Was it smooth or knobbly? Have you looked at ladybird larvae? Some of them grow quite big.

[owner2]

Checked Shield Bugs on Google and didn't see it.Thanks Emeritus.
Checked Ladybird Larvae on Google and again didn't see it.
Insect was smooth rather than knobbly, Robinia.
It might be some sort of Ground Bug.