When I googled "Dahlia Pests" I came up with a flea beetle. The flea beetle is only about 1/16" long - which is hard for me to judge from the scale of your photos.

Thanks for looking, my pest is definitely bigger...these guys are around a half an inch long.

i grew up outside of philadelphia and we had tons of these and my mom called them Japanese Beetles.

I've had lots of them in my pool in the last week or so - a pool is great for killing lots of insects and small animals.

google "oriental beetle" images - yours looks more like that.

link on more info:

Here is a link that might be useful: link

We had a Japanese beetle last year and it had a more green iridescent body and some funky dots on its side that they guys don't seem to have. It does have a lot of similarities though to a JB. I can't rule it out, but I don't think that's it.
Thanks though!

Asiatic garden beetle?

These are the DREADED oriental beetles. I detest them. They destroy my echinacea and daisies every single year. Still trying to find out how to deal with them. I tried milky spore a few years back, knowing that it was more for japanese beetles, but I was desperate. I have noticed a decline this year - so far - not sure why, but I'll take it!

If anyone knows how to get rid of these pests, please share!

:)
Dee

i'm going to try milky spore - I just read on line and a site said to use it about 3 times a summer and keep it up every year for it to be effective.

I haven't seen them on any plants, but I'm not paying tons of close attention. But I do notice any time I dig anywhere, I find a grub.

Lately, they fall or crawl in my pool and tons of them are in there. I wonder if they are dropping from the neighbor's norway maples overhanging my yard?

These guys fly - so they get around, unfortunately!

I've never heard of using milky spore three times a year. That would be incredibly expensive - well at least for me on my almost-acre. I read that you apply it once and it spreads on its own. I wonder if I should try another application.

I also wonder if I should leave out a few trays of water at night. I seem to mostly find the asiatic beetles in water, but then again I try not to leave much water out.

Dee

hmm, good point. I don't even know the price! Plus I suppose I'd have to buy a spreader. Now I wish I knew the site I just found that on - probably a milky spore seller.

"...Plus I suppose I'd have to buy a spreader..."

Doh! I wish I had thought of that, lol. Silly me was out on my acre with a tablespoon! Took me FOREVER, lol!

:)
Dee