Egg ID on buddleia (white)

8 years ago

I'm in zone 9a (SW Houston area). Just stepped out to find these on one of my buddleia leaves -- eggs are a bit darker (and shinier) than in the pic:

Each egg measures 1/8" long. What will these turn into?

Also, see that dark splotch on the leaf? When I turned the leaf over, there was a jet-black, round 'something' -- I thought it might have been a beetle. Nope -- it was a large black bead of liquid.

You can see in this pic that this substance dripped onto the leaf below:

I don't know if this provides a clue to what may have laid the eggs. And, if not, what the heck is the black stuff?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

perennialfan275

8 years ago

Because I'm curious, I did some research. According to the natural history museum site, there are only 2 species of lepidoptera in the US that feed on buddleia (or buddleja since it's a UK website). After googling these insects to try to find pictures of the eggs, neither of them looked like the eggs in your pictures. I don't know what kinds of eggs those are, but I'm guessing they're not lepidoptera eggs. When the eggs finally hatch, please take some pictures of whatever shows up. I'm curious to see what this is.

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/hostplants/search/list.dsml?searchPageURL=index.dsml&Familyqtype=starts+with&Family=&PFamilyqtype=starts+with&PFamily=&Genusqtype=starts+with&Genus=&PGenusqtype=starts+with&PGenus=buddleja&Speciesqtype=starts+with&Species=&PSpeciesqtype=starts+with&PSpecies=&Country=USA&sort=Family

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Comments (13)

javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Wow, thanks for researching this, perennialfan275. I originally did some cursory Googling (butterfly moth eggs Texas buddleia), and didn't come up with any images that came close. I've been busy in the yard, so remember to check every day or so -- to my surprise, they haven't either hatched or been eaten yet.

Reading that buddleia cuttings can be kept in water for a period, I just pulled the stem indoors and placed it into a florist tube. Here's a close-up -- interesting to see the coloring/pattern that's developed, since I posted 10 days ago:

(Click to enlarge.)

ETA: I also Googled images for geckos, anoles and frogs, since those critters are about -- nothing close.
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javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
Shots from this morning

Sunlit:

Shade
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
8 years ago
Great photos! I'm watching this thread with great interest to see what hatches!
javiwa thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
Well, I'm headed out of town early this Friday, so they'd better hatch before then! :/ As it is, I should have 17-18 Monarch chrysalises formed by this evening, and I'm sad to know they'll all break out when I'm gone. I hope they're very much like salmon that remember where home is, and they'll visit me often this summer.
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
My $ is on something in Hemiptera.
javiwa thanked KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
Whoa, KC Clark -- thanks! Just Googled, and these appear to be eggs of the Leaf Footed Bug.

Hmmm...with the red/orange coloring, could the adult be this fella?
javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
We have visitors!

Click to enlarge (hopefully!).

Camera shy:
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
8 years ago
I think you're right; Leaf footed stink bug nymphs..
javiwa thanked roselee z8b S.W. Texas
javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
Well, if these little guys are looking for tomatoes, their mama dropped them off on the wrong side of the fence. :)

I should add they measure ~ 3/8" from front to back feet.
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
FYI: "Leaf footed" bug is a common name given to the bugs in the family Coreidae. So the reality is there are a lot of different "Leaf footed" bugs.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/93/bgpage
javiwa thanked KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
javiwa
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks again, KC Clark. Care to hazard a guess which adult form my little guys will take, based on my pics? I'm located just SW of Houston, TX.
KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
8 years ago
Nope. But I can tell you they are not Leptoglossus phyllopus, the 4th pic you posted on Sunday. Eggs are totally different and they use the strength in numbers defense. Your species lays a few eggs at a time.
javiwa thanked KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH