They sound like white flies

Janet

I've looked online at pics of white flies, and these look nothing like them. They are very flat, almost powdery, and leave a cottony residue behind. They also jump, not fly. They don't seem to be doing any damage. A friend who is an entemologist (sp?) looked at them and didn't know either...he's researching it as well.

Do we have an unusual insect here in N. Virginia? Help??

If I have a chance tonight I'll try and take pics of them.

Yep, that's what I have, around the stems. It's odd that nobody here has been able to say what these are yet and if they're a threat to our plants. I'm glad I"m not the only one who has seen these!

eroell, I had the same insects covering a few of my container plants. I assumed they were whiteflies and pitched the plants- it would have taken a lot of insecticidal soap to get rid of them. Since then I've only seen them a couple of times on different plants and I just squirt them with soap. There's a thread going now about psyllids (sp?) started by Janetta. I did a google image search and I believe that this is our insect. I didn't have a chance to check it out further and don't know how damaging they are.

I looked at the pix on Google image search - and I don't think that's our mystery bug.

I have sprayed insecticidal soap every day for a week, and they just seem to jump over to a neighboring plant. Doesn't seem to matter what kind of plant - I've found them on my native plants, parsley, fuschia and citrus trees.

I don't see any "damage", but who knows? I'd love to know what these little buggers are...

Well, I'm stumped. Maybe it's the white stuff that looks the same. I didn't notice any damage either. Whatever it was I had a lot of it! I'll keep looking. Good luck in your search!

Catch some and take to the nearest extension office. Also can't somebody take a photo?

I looked at the psyllids, they look related, but none of the psyllids I saw pics of were white. The potato psyllids looked the closest maybe??

I took pics, but can't seem to upload them...they aren't very sharp.

Is this it? I looked them up last year but can't find the name again. They were described as fast moving for mealy bugs.

Loretta, I can't make out the details of that insect. Just looks solid white on top. (no texture??) It wasn't a mealybug destroyer by any chance?

Here is a link that might be useful: Mealybug destroyer

Squeeze some of that fluff that's deposited -- if you get some orange-ish colored goop to ooze, that's mealybug eggs.

Here's a similar thread currently running on 'Gardening in NJ'.

Rob

Here is a link that might be useful: Similar link

I've squished the white residue, and there is no orange goop. The photo above DOES look like what I've got, although I don't think the Mealybug destroyer is it either, very odd but I'm glad I'm not the only one with them!

Here's a picture

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1064066}}

I'm telling you, this bug was easy to google last summer...drat, I forgot the name.

I just posted over on the NJ forum the same...How about a wooly aphid type?
I emailed a pic to What's that Bug and that was his guess. Also, I looked closer at the bugs and noticed a little dew drop attached to each bug and when I scratched off the fluff, it looked like a green aphid. What do you see on yours?

I've got them too in Eastern PA. Have never been able to identify them. Seems like something this widespread would be in the books by now.

If it 'hops' I don't think it would be a woolly aphid--I think it is psyllids whose nymphs are oval and flat. According to Peterson's Insect Guide "many produce a large amount of waxy filaments, making them look like little blobs of cotton." They are ACTIVE JUMPING INSECTS.

Perhaps you all have different insect in your respective locations.

I'm still leaning toward psyllids. Just from doing the google image search it seems that there are many different kinds of psyllids and maybe we're catching them at different stages- just a thought. One thing that is consistent is the cotton and the activity. I found some cottony stuff on the back of a leaf along with some bugs that looked like large, flat aphids- perhaps a psyllid nymph? Just found some hornwom poo today, too. Remind me...why am I doing this?:)

I am leaning toward a type of psyllid too. I did have one jump for me finally off an astilbe (or astible - whatever).

This sounds like the same thing I've just seen on a woody stem of Fuscia. Includes pics of adults and good description.

Here is a link that might be useful: citrus flatid planthopper - Metcalfa pruinosa (Say)

I think you're right!! These DO look like what's been covering my garden, and I noticed now that I have a lot of the adults, so it makes sense. It's good to know that these do little damage. FINALLY after so long, we have an answer! Thank you!!

Here is a link that might be useful: citrus flatid planthopper - Metcalfa pruinosa

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/NE/cottony_cushion_scale_parasite.html

They are unarmored scale

Cottony cushion scale parasite
Scientific name: Cryptochaetum iceryae

Here is a link that might be useful: UC Davis

Yes you are right it is scale white flies are very small almost look like flying white dust, almost 100% sure its scale.

Mealybug or Cottony Cushion scale.

Treat with neem oil.

http://www.walterreeves.com/insects-and-animals/plant-hoppers-roosting-on-stems/

Yes now years later I can agree at least my photo was most likely a leaf hopper which have lived in my yard since. Seems harmless. They haven't overpopulated. Can't say for the original poster but the behavior of jumping off the plant seems to lean toward the same. Absolutely not cottony cushion scale.