Urgent help needed..container plants being attacked!

Can anyone here help me identify what on earth is attacking the flowers I am growing in containers on my back patio. This picture shows my Butterfly bush and my Osteospermum both of which first showed these funny spots starting on Saturday of this past weekend. I took a piece to my local garden center and they said they thought is was "flea beatles" and sold me insecticidal soap. I sprayed the heck out of em but it does not seem to have helped. It has spread totally over two osteospermum and now my butterfly bush has started. What IS this??? Does anyone recognize it? And how do I save my beautiful plants?
Diane

That looks like plant bug damage. They can do a lot of damage before you even see them. Their quick little buggers and run and hide whenever they're approached. I have a couple different species here. They go through several different molts and the immature ones look quite different from the adults.

This is the Fourlined plant bug... it took a long time for me to get an ID on it. I brought it to a garden center and they said it was bean beetle!

http://www.ppdl.org/dd/id/4-lined_plant_bug.html

Oh, thank you so much, Poppysue -- that sure does look like it! Those little bas----!! I just went out and sprinkled them with powerdered Sevin dust. I don't have any of the liquid insecticides..guess I'll have to pick some up because the rain we are supposed to get tomorrow afternoon will wash off that powder. Thanks again..my Osteospermum are completely covered with that damage so I don't know if they will live...but the butterfly bush damage is very little -- so perhaps I have acted in time.

Your a peach!

Diane

Be careful using Sevin, it kills bees too, and other beneficial insects. Try organic controls like insecticidal soaps (dish soap plus water in a spray bottle - 1 tsp. per pint).

Rev,
What type of dish soap do you use?

Good luck Krnysgirl... :)

Clear Ivory Liquid works well. :q