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Plum tree pest identification

pollinator

Posts: 136

Location: South Louisiana, 9a

posted 5 years ago

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My young Santa Rosa plum tree is being devoured. I can't find any adult or larval insects on the tree that seem like suspects. But this poop is all over the tree. Does anyone recognize it? I'm in south Louisiana. What ever it is, it doesn't bother my Chicksaw plum at all.

poop.jpeg

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 18153

Location: USDA Zone 8a

4622

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posted 5 years ago

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Have you seen grasshoppers?

One year the grasshoppers were rather plentiful and like to spend time in our trees. There was lots of poop. we only saw them occasionally because they are, you know ... grass-hoppers.

What is in your picture looks like grasshopper poop to me.

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

Jake Esselstyn

pollinator

Posts: 136

Location: South Louisiana, 9a

posted 5 years ago

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Thanks Anne. It's possible, but I rarely see hoppers in the yard. I suspect something nocturnal and larval. I have found a couple cocoons on the tree, but they don't seem very numerous relative to the extent of damage. In the mean time, I will keep a look out for hoppers.

cocoon.jpeg

Anne Miller

steward

Posts: 18153

Location: USDA Zone 8a

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posted 5 years ago

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Those leaves in the new picture sure look like something had dinner.

I assume that brown thing on the left-hand side is a cocoon, that looks like it was made from parts of chewed leaves.

And the poop looking stuff could be eggs.

I don't have a clue though this is good for identifying different bugs:

https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/files/Extension-Master-Gardener/BugBook.pdf

Invasive plants are Earth's way of insisting we notice her medicines. Stephen Herrod Buhner
Everyone learns what works by learning what doesn't work. Stephen Herrod Buhner

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