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turttle Chapel Hill, NC Jul 09, 2010

Do any of you know what caterpillar (or perhaps other insect) eats pokeberry leaves? My pokeberries are getting stripped, and despite going out at night several times and during the day to check, I can't identify the culprit. The pattern of damage suggests caterpillars. My Caterpillars of the Eastern United States books doesn't list pokeberry as a specific host plant, though. I am in Chapel Hill, NC.

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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Jul 10, 2010

maybe army worms? or something related? i had one in a trough of plants and it took some serious studying with a flashlight before i finally found it. apparently it would go under the mulch in the heat of the day and come out every night to feast.

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Lily_love Central, AL(Zone 7b) Jul 11, 2010

If the pattern of damage suggest caterpillar's munching? Maybe slugs and snails another potential culprits? These too are nocternal critters that hide under mulch and cool dark place during the daylight.

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turttle Chapel Hill, NC Jul 13, 2010

I will take a look under the mulch, which is fallen leaves from my woods. Whatever stripped them seems to be mostly gone, since the new foliage isn't getting eaten nearly as badly. I've looked at night a couple of times, but I may need to just look more closely a bunch more times. Thanks for the help.

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trackinsand mid central, FL(Zone 9a) Jul 13, 2010

the good thing about poke is that no matter what eats it, it won't die....ever! lol personally, i like poke and keep a little around my place, just not in the garden area.

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