One out of six apple trees is really suffering. The aphids are under control now - blessed lady bugs! - but something is eating the leaves. I found one small but fat grasshopper-type thing but squished it w/o taking a picture. I can find no evidence of anything else. Any ideas what could be causing this?
Kathleen
The result looks a bit like the work of a leaf-cutter bee. To see one at work is like watching a pair of scissors moving. I had them here once on a pawpaw tree.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/misc/leafcutterbees.html
Yuska
Interesting, Yuska. I will watch for the signs mentioned in the article. Thanks very much.
Kathleen
Defininately not leaf cutter be. I have seen them, and their work is not ragged. Even the link provided says .".., making a smooth semicircular cut about 3/4-in in diameter from the edge of leaves..." . I don't see any smooth semicircular cuts. The bees take small round sections out, very cleanly cut, like Yuska says..
The top leaves might just be abraded against the wire. Is this the damage you refer to? The tattered leaves?
The top leaves might just be abraded against the wire. Is this the damage you refer to? The tattered leaves?
I was looking at the leaf center left, next to the bright green tape. The edge shows the ends of the veins but otherwise a rounded cut. I have seen them actually at work, and they can fly away with leaf sections three times their own size. I agree the top leaves appear abraded.
