Hi,
I posted a question on the yahoo lily group about leaf hoppers and their relationship with viruses to lilies. I got an interesting, although somewhat disturbing response. Since most discussion on lily diseases seem to revolve around aphids,thrips and the like, I thought this information to be important to post here.
>Andrew wrote:
> Hi,
> I know aphids can pass diseases to lilies but what about leaf hoppers? I seem to have many around my yard.
>
> http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~dietrich/Leafhome.html
>
> Thank you,
> Andrew N. z5a:WI,USA
>
>"Potato leafhoppers are a small (under 1/4 inch) greenish colored
sap-sucking insect. The adults are winged but are not strong flyers.
They have an incomplete life cycle. Both the adults and nymphs feed on
a wide variety of plants and cause a great deal of damage to a number of
agricultural crops. They are a known transmitter of a number of plant
viruses including many that infect lilies.
A unique feature of these insects is that they can not tolerate winter
in the northern states and Canada and overwinter in the Gulf states.
Storm fronts will pick them up and transport them hundreds of miles
before they drop back to ground. One day there will be none and the next
day they will be all over the place.
These insects love oriental lilies and to a lesser extent most other
lilies. I believe, that in the mid-west United States, they are much
more damaging to lilies as a virus transmitter than aphids. I have found
both adults and nymphs on oriental lilies but only adults on other
types. They are easily killed using a systemic pesticide that contains
"imidacloprid" . "Bayer Rose & Garden" insect killer and "Merit" are
several insecticides that have this in their formulation.
Best,
>Don
This message was edited Jun 12, 2007 3:50 PM
Lily pests FYI
Leaf hoppers are quick. They do a side shuffle around a leaf, coyly disappearing to the opposite side. Here is another link that searches google images.
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&tab=wi&hl=en&q=leafhoppers
I keep wondering what is next for you; fire, flood, or famine.
In the end you have to be content with what nature brings, beauty or beast :*)