I've been growing Hardy Hibiscus for a long time. I have never had a problem like this.
Small caterpillars are eating all the leaves. At first I thought it might be beetles but there are very few.
Today while watering I saw these little creatures, lots of them. They are new to me.
I'm sure I lost a few plants already, I can see a visible difference over night.
Please help.
Andy P
looks like a yellow scallop moth cat- anomis erosa or a Rose of Sharon Moth- Anomis commoda. Nice pic
Hi Andy,
What you have is a infestion of mallow sawfly larva(Atomacera decepta). Actually this insect is not a caterpillar, but the larva of a sawfly, a group of insects related to bees and wasp. The species occurs from New England south to Florida, and west to Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas.
The mallow sawfly is considered a minor pest, but when it invades foliage of lovingly tended ornamental plants, turning it to lacy skeletons, the gardener’s paradise surely is in major crisis. Plants especially susceptible to attack by the mallow sawfly include the popular ornamentals hollyhock (Alcea rosea), rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), and some other Hibiscus species. The mallow sawfly shows little or no interest in some other economically important malvaceous plants, including cotton, okra, and rose of Sharon.
Here is where I got the info: UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
http://entomology.uark.edu/museum/hibsaw.html
And for control suggestions I found some good info at
http://www.caes.state.ct.us/FactSheetFiles/ValleyLaboratory/fsvl007f.htm
Thanks, NC. I sprayed with insecticidal soap right after noticing them. We'll see if that works.
I have seen the mature Saw flies lately. I'm looking a lot closer at bugs since I have a digital camera. I enjoy snapping bugs but this one is not welcome.
Andy P
The insecticidal soap works well. I checked the 'test' area today and the numbers are way down.
I just finished soaking every Hibiscus, top and bottom with the soap.
I only wish I had taken a closer look sooner.
Thanks again NC.
Andy P
You can add 1/2 cup of rubbing Alcohol to a gallon of soap mix .
- Just do one leaf on each plant and wait a day to see if Alcohol burns leaves . Depending on hatch rate you should spray again in 5 to ten days .
- Only spray at night / early evening to keep sun from burning plants and the bugs are moving less - most good bugs [ bees ] have gone home for the evening .
Thank you NCPlantsman. It looks like We saved the plants.
Here is a flower from yesterday morning.
Andy P
Andy, do you have a name for that hibiscus? I have one I bought that was on sale, and didn't have a name. It's gorgeous, and my blooms are about 8" across.
Thanks!
It's a Disco Bell. A friend let me gather seeds a few years ago. It's really a white flower with a bit of pink at the edges. The dappled morning sun gave it these soft colors.
It has huge flowers for a 30 inch plant.
Andy P
That's the one. I was amazed at the size of the blooms. Thanks!
