What kind of beetle is this?

Hey everyone,

My friend went hiking this past summer (‘09) and found a beetle that both he and I are trying to find out what kind it is. He thinks it may be a type of ladybug, but again, we’re not sure. It has the body shape of a ladybug but has different colors. Its head and throax are black. Its shell is silvery gray and has a black, splotchy, rorshach-looking pattern.

Here’s a link to a picture of it: http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj18/shutterbug66/bug.jpg

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! It’d also be helpful to only post answers that are not just blind guesses.

Thanks a lot!