[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[dlindow at 2xtechs.com]

Denise Lindow
85260
dlindow at 2xtechs.com

I have large (about 1/2" long) black shiny beetles in my garden.  As they grew from ladybeetle sized to this larger size they gained traces of red around the edges of their bodies.  They seem to be sucking insects and wherever they go aphids seem to disappear.  I can't find anything anywhere about what they might be.  Does anyone have an idea?
Thank you,
Denise Lindow