These strange, seed-like "things" are on my red passion flower vine buds...Every single one of them! They are right on the edge of a petal. I think they are keeping the bud from opening. Any ideas? I've seen 1 or 2 on other plants as well, but not as many as this.
another picture....
and another one....They are almost pearlescent...kinda pretty
it's hard to see them, but maybe aphids?
did they ever move? could you ever find legs?
They are Aphids, there are green, tan, and black variety, Sevin dust will iradicate them, or just about any insecticide, however Seven dust will make a mess
oh wait! don't use sevin. just squirt them off with a hose. they won't really hurt anything anyway as passionflowers are made to be eaten (by catts, not aphids), but still, sevin will kill so many other good bugs and butterflys.
I've never seen aphids spread out like that. One here, one there. Aphids are all bunched together and quickly become a brazillion aphids. I sure wish I could see them closer. Someone asked if they had legs. I thought that was a good question, because they don't look insect-y to me....
Are these near the ground? There is a fungus that looks like a little cup, and when the spores ripen it it spews them out. They often land on plant material (leaves, flowers) near the ground, and people often mistake them for insects, or insect eggs.
it's very odd how they are evenly lined up exactly along the petal edge. That makes it loook to me like something growing from the flower, not an insect.
it's very odd how they are evenly lined up exactly along the petal edge. That makes it loook to me like something growing from the flower, not an insect. Look at the milkweed aphid pictures in bugfiles for an example of aphids.
Genus Cyathus - One in my Texas Mushrooms book mentions Cyathus stercoreus or bird's nest fungi. The cups resemble small birds' nests, filled with miniature eggs. The "eggs" are called peridioles and the spores are borne inside the peridioles. They are attached to the bottom of the cups by a coiled, threadlike cord. Each of the cups is large enough to hold a drop of water. The peridioles are splashed out of the cup by rain drops. Some species actually throw their entire sphere-shaped spore mass - often as far as several yards. There are others in the genus too. Just a thought.....
http://www.rogersmushrooms.com/gallery/DisplayBlock~bid~5886.asp
I agree sallyg - I don't grow this plant and so thought that maybe it was just part of the plant. Does anyone have experience with it?
Altho' I can't seem to find sufficient info, which relates any palatable preferences associated .. but, thought you may want take a look-see .. at some of these wee lil fellers.
(Some, are less than 4 millimeters and even smaller) in the family of Negro Bugs (Thyreocoridae)
The bugs in the photo {here}, seems to be most similar > http://bugguide.net/node/view/5184
and > http://cedarcreek.umn.edu/insects/020002n.html
also > http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg70.html
And, because your lil guys are sooooo tiny - tis very possilbe, that they're one of the species of the Shining Flower Beetles (Phalacridae) > http://bugguide.net/node/view/43542 .. and a more specific possibility: these t-weency guys (2 mm) > http://bugguide.net/node/view/80884
- Magpye
Just saw this and remembered this thread. I wonder, could this be what we are seeing on the edge of the petals? Dunno - just a thought....
"Interesting associations have developed between plants and insects like that of the Heliconid butterflies and passion flower vines of the genus Passiflora. Passion flower vines contain cyanide-based compounds for protection against predators. However, Heliconid caterpillars have adapted to these compounds and are able to eat the vine's leaves. Therefore, Heliconid butterflies lay their eggs directly on the passion flower vine, so the larvae will have easy access to their food source. Passion flowers have counter-adapted to the behavior by developing mechanisms to discourage Heliconid butterflies from laying eggs on their leaves. Some Passiflora have evolved structures (actually nectaries) that create housing and produce excess nectar for ants. In return, the ants attack anything, including butterfly eggs, that intrudes on their host. One- upping their predators, some Passiflora have structures that mimic the eggs of Heliconid butterflies. Since a Heliconid butterfly will not lay its eggs on leaves that already have (or appear to have) these eggs, she will move on to another plant. In this manner, Passiflora deter Heliconid butterflies without devoting any resources to the production of nectar for a guard of ants, a technique of protection adopted by many other plants as their primary means of defense."
I saw it again today! I'm rearranging plants (de-winterizing) and noticed it on one of my Clerodendron "bleeding heart"s. Same thing, attached on the "seams" of the petals of a bud. Do you think it's some kind of bug excrement? I looked real hard and did not find any signs of bugs. A real mystery.
Bug excrement usually looks like... bug excrement. Mud, dirty specks or little balls or barrel shapes but not 'pearlescent' as you aptly put it.
This is really weird. A real 'stumper'!!!
What about sallyg's question, did they ever move, did you see anything like legs?
Magpye's suggestion of beetles is plausible but you would see them move eventually, or be able to see legs if you turned them over...no?
And ceejaytown's points are great, there are some strange relationships between some butterflies and passiflora...
I found this picture of butterfly eggs on passiflora, but it's from India.
http://www.passionflow.co.uk/health.htm
That site talks about all kinds of passiflora pests and diseases. So far, my favorite theory is butterfly eggs, but I don't see any matches yet. Any chance of more pictures?
Well, I asked my Extension agent about that theory, and he said the eggs I spoke of were laid on the leaves, as far as he knew - and he's pretty durned good at what he does. I printed the photo for him and he had no idea what they were. A real puzzlement!
This message was edited Apr 2, 2007 12:27 AM
jammin - I note you live in Brenham - such a short distance to A&M's diagnostic lab in College Station. Please, please take it there for diagnosis. Or mail it to them. I have to know what this is!!! Pretty please?
I'll try to get more pictures today. I've never seen them move....can't see any legs.
Hadn't thought about A&M. Will check into that.....
The mystery continues....I previously posted that they were back, but on my bleeding heart. I was wrong, it is still on my red passion vine. This time I saw some small black ants all around the "beads", There were no signs of aphids, mealy bugs, or scale. I could only find the beads on the seams of petals. I don't see any damage to the leaves or stems. hmmmm....
I've got the buds in a glass jar, and will see if anything crawls out of it.
I'm betting it's a butterfly or moth egg, maybe Imperial Moth
http://bugguide.net/node/view/10759
This was sent to me from another forum...anyone heard of this? I'm still researching.....
"I dare say they are actually part of the plant, quite possibly "extrafloral nectaries," which would explain why the ants are attracted. Some passion vines even produce fake egg spots to discourage longwing heliconiid butterflies from ovipositing!"
But I later added that the Horticultural Extension Agent said that he was aware of these nectaries on the leaves, but not on the flowers. You never got it to Texas A&M for their input?
ceejaytown, no, I work too much! 5 days at a "real" job and the rest at home in my backyard nursery. I barely get out of the county, let alone to College Station! Maybe I can find an email address, and send them pictures......
Hi Folks
The mysterious blobs are indeed nectaries. See http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/webb/Bot410/Secretion/Secretion-1.htm
The key comment is 'This time I saw some small black ants all around the "beads"' The ants are there to keep the plant clean and their reward is nectar from these nectaries which can also occur on leaves and leaf stems as petiole glands.
Don't feel silly being fooled though - they have a secondary function of mimicking butterfly eggs to put off butterflies from laying on them. See http://www.passionflow.co.uk/eggact.htm for more info. I could do with a pic of this for my site so Jamminspoons please mail me!
Best wishes
Myles Irvine
http://www.passionflow.co.uk/
Myles, how interesting! Thanks for sharing the info. Isn't nature amazing?
Tell me how I can help with a picture.....
