And then these!

Bottom buds were pierced early. They will drop. Open flower was pierced in larger bud stage and opened like this.

These three buds will not bloom

This will be only bloom on this scape. You can see the damage to other buds.

And here is the culprit

And another.

I saw hundreds of buds in the browning stage today. There will be a lot less blooms for me on these early ones.

Those bugs are brutal. That Otis Dobson is just so adorable! I love it!.

So sorry to hear about those dreadful bugs! Thank you for including pictures so others can be aware. Billy the Kid and your rose picture are my favorites today.

Lori

Never heard of this pest before. Is it location specific? It sure does do some damage. At least your dark daylilies look blotch free. They are gorgeous..........Maryl

Lots of beautiful blooms! I think Billy the Kid is my favorite, with Thomas Tew a close 2nd. Billy just put up scapes here and may bloom before some of these that have been scaped for a week or so. Billy was a bonus plant and 1 site has it listed as very few bud count. I was rather disappointed at the time, debated on giving it away. So glad I did not, it always has a decent bud count and has rebloomed every year. Such a nasty bug.

One of my plants has lost its 3 1st scapes, just dried up. I thought I saw one of your bugs on another plant. I only found that 1 after searching carefully, and I don't think it was the same insect, but going to keep a close watch. I would spray just in case, but I have lots of ladybugs and baby praying mantis this year, hate to kill them too.

Lovely photos, Kate! I’m not familiar with those bugs, haven’t seen any damage like that here. I have occasional earwig damage here but not a huge problem. Hope the rest of your season is trouble free.

Sherry

Billy The Kid caught my eye. Nice eye and edge color. As for the bug, not seen it here but I have had buds dry up and die but thought it may be other environmental issues.

Unfortunately I do not think this insect is location specific. I have read a lot about it and recently read an insect identification site where someone posted it and asked about it. Their location was Quebec. The entomologist who identified it for me indicated there was a host weed for it. Unfortunately living in the country with woods, forests, and fields, it would be impossible for me to get rid of all weeds!! Like Nancy I have tons of ladybugs and usually just accept this first residual damage and get aggressive later unless I see scenes like this! I posted this photo last year.

That is horrendous, Kate! I wonder what the host weed is. Your blooms are lovely. I like California Classic and Otis Dobson. Thomas haas a beautiful pattern and I love the color. What is the name of the lovely hot rose?

kay

I know, Kay, right? What is the host weed? It could be any of the 10,000 surrounding my house, I think!!! And I wonder if there is only one host weed. All I know is they are prolific and definitely destroyers of buds. The bad part is they get it so early while still in developing stage so you don't realize it until the buds come into view and start browning and dropping. Some buds will not be pierced as early and look like the deformed bloom in the picture. Other buds have little bumps on them which I suspect are the piercings perhaps scabbed over. Can you tell I don't like them very much?!!!!

I wish I knew the name of that rose. It is the only rose I have ever owned that actually has the vase form. The roses begin as lovely orange (not a color I really think of in roses but really deep and intense) and then change and explode into a kaleidoscope of colors including yellow, orange, and pink. It has also been the most disease free rose I have had. It is an older rose; I don't even remember its origin and where I bought it. But it is a favorite as it blooms all summer.

I got a better photo of Thomas Tew today that really shows the intense coloring of it that I love. The first bloom is always sorta blah and then it really shows out.