CLOSED: striped bugs in large colonies on crepe myrtle

kwrn1 Ferry Pass, FL May 21, 2013

I have these striped bugs on my crepe myrtle and another "barkless" tree. They are in large colonies and there are larger all black bugs that appear to corral and guide the colony around. They do not appear to fly. I have at least 6 different swarms of these on one tree. Each group is a different age-- there is one colony of teeny tiny bugs that are about a millimeter or two in length and then there is another group that is a little bit larger, and so on. Any ideas?? Are they bad for the trees or good? Please help!

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hcmcdole Powder Springs, GA(Zone 7b) May 21, 2013

Looks like black aphids. Spray off with hard blast of water or soapy water. You could also wait to see if ladybugs show up.

I had some similar bugs on a Japanese maple a few years ago.

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hcmcdole Powder Springs, GA(Zone 7b) May 21, 2013

Another picture of immature aphids.

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kwrn1 Ferry Pass, FL May 21, 2013

Those aphids aren't striped like mine. Mine are black and tan striped-- if you zoom in, you can see it.

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hcmcdole Powder Springs, GA(Zone 7b) May 22, 2013

There are many different types of aphids.

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND May 22, 2013

These are not aphids at all, they are insects in the order Psocodea known as bark lice or tree cattle - see http://escambia.ifas.ufl.edu/blog/2012/04/27/bark-lice/ and http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/p480x480/427353_539590839412544_134332521_n.jpg The small striped ones are nymphs and the ones with wings are the adults . These insects previously were placed in the order Psocoptera.