Tiny purple and white specks on plants

11 years ago

Does anyone know what the small purple and white speck on the leaf is? I am finding these throughout my balcony plants. Mostly on stems and sometimes on leaves. They seem stationary and do not move. I have been using a twig to knock them off my plants. Been searching online and can't seem to identify it. Please help!

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

11 years ago

Tenhugs, you can use your finger to wipe them off, they don't bite. Or a Q-tip moistened with rubbing alcohol.

The crawlers are there because there was once a full sized insect, the mothership (so to speak), present on your plants. Keep an eye out for these insects, as they can certainly lead to plant decline if allowed to multiply unabated.

Kinda cute when they're little, I think. ;-)

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Comments (7)

Jean
11 years ago
Where do you live.?

What is the plant?
tenhugs
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi in California. It's on almost all of my plants =( bellpepper, basil, jalepeno, mint
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
It looks like one of the wax scale insects, perhaps Ceroplastes spp. It is a crawler.....a youngster.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
do you see them currently ... to my eye.. that could be old damage ...

i always look to the fresh new growth ... rather than old bottom leaves... when trying to figure out.. if there are current bugs on the plant ...

what rhiz said on eradication ..

ken
Jean
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Uh oh, please don't wipe them off yet.

Why? Because it may be an invasive pest for CA, possibly not yet reported for your county. See http://ice.ucdavis.edu/invasives/species/ceroplastes-floridensis

As a just in case, please report the insects promptly.

You can do so by contacting your county's Agricultural Commission. For example, if you live in San Diego County, your search phrase would be "agricultural commission san diego county"-- omit the quote marks when entering the phrase.

Or you can report to the invasive Species Council with the link at the left side of this page: http://www.iscc.ca.gov/cisac.html

Oh yes, please post a follow up here with what you've learned.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
Jean, that's very interesting! I hope that our OP follows up with that. TENHUGS, it's fun to participate in a scientific study like that, you'll be adding some good information.

Ken, I think that tenhugs is interested in the identity of the little scale insect visible on the leaf. It's an important pest and will overwinter and multiply in her location.