Help, something eating my Orange Jubilee!

11 years ago

I planted some orange jubilee bushes in my backyard about a year ago. They were doing fine until this summer, when I noticed the leaves were being skeletonized. I tried spraying Thuricide on them last weekend after a severe pruning thinking it was caterpillars but it is continuing to occur. Today, I observed a very small flying moth-like insect, and I think these may be responsible. They are about 1 cm long.

I took some pics, posted below. Can anyone recommend a course of action, and identify what this insect is?

Thanks!

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Comments (6)

Fascist_Nation
11 years ago
That is a lacewing.

Do? Nothing. What do you care? It obviously isn't a major problem or you would have a pic of the skeletonizing and you would have spotted the caterpillars because it would be extensive damage. From the link below it sounds like you already have done it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf skeletonizer caterpillar
Archaeofreak
Original Author
11 years ago
Well, I only was able to upload 1 pic. I do have pics and the skeletonizing was severe, and is continuing (as I said in my post), but I have already pruned most of it off at this point. Are you saying this lacewing is not responsible for the skeletonizing? If not, no, I did not see any caterpillars, or any other insects, but, again, the skeletonizing is continuing...here is just 1 day after pruning. So, is a caterpillar the only thing that causes the leaves to skeletonize? If so, is the Thuricide the only, or recommended treatment?
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ra
11 years ago
read this thread

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/azgard/msg0921074620175.html

they're small caterpillars that are eating your orange jubilee. I have them on mine and I use BT every 5 days to take care of them.
MaryMcP Zone 8b - Phx AZ
11 years ago
Man, that looks like good old fashioned horn worm destruction. Lacewings will eat some caterpillar pests but you may have more pests than lacewings.

This post was edited by marymcp on Fri, Nov 7, 14 at 8:20
kevininphx
11 years ago
Lacewings are GOOD insects :-D

They will help naturally control some pests - like others have said, probably a caterpillar that is too small to easily spot especially when they can be an identical color to the leaf

Good luck, I hate dealing with pest problems when you don't readily know the problem, let alone a solution!

For what it's worth, I've had a similar problem on some miniature bougainvillea I have in hanging pots! I've sprayed them will water regularly to try to dislodge whatever it is, but it must either be really LODGED in there or is a flying insect that returns later . . .
AmberOctober
11 years ago
Kevin, I have the same problem with all four of my bougainvilleas. They were skeletonized almost to the ground level, all at once... Don't see any insects on them either :( I am wondering whether I should just cut them to the ground and wait for we growth.