Can anyone identify this bug?

Brendan starts with ...
Hello,
Great forum, now that we are doing our landscaping etc I will be referring here frequently to try and find some more great tips....

When we moved into our new house in Tarneit, and even before the house was built the section had a lot of these bugs on it. They appear to have bred and at one stage the fence had a few hundred of them all. They drive the cats mad on the windows!

Anyways they appear to suck the weeds (only plants in section so far...), and seem to mate by docking on the rear, so they walk round attached.....

I cant find any reference to them in any books, they are close to some beatles, but not close enough. Any thoughts?

Cheers
Brendan

Pictures - Click to enlarge
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Phil@Tyalgum says...
Dindymus versicolor would be my guess - the Harlequin bug.They can mass in hundreds on some favoured plants, especially fond of soft fruits - mulberries, raspberries etc. The recommended treatment is spraying with soapy water which damages their protective shield. Young bugs look quite different in shape and color, kind of a pinkish red with no wings, still swarm together tho.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Brendan says...
Sounds like I should cull them off a bit since am about to start doing vege garden.....soapy water, that I can do! Shower water hehehe.. Thanks again. The dots are present on the younger ones I see from some other photos.