CLOSED: What are these small white bugs that are eating my petunias?

cwmccabe Davis, CA Jun 14, 2008

These tiny white insects are all over some of my petunia plants, and they appear to be eating away at the leaves. I noticed that they are far greater in number on the plants that are in the least sunlight (i.e. the petunias that are exposed to more sun have fewer or none of these bugs). I also noticed that they completely ignore marigolds that are directly next to the petunias, and they also ignore several nearby vegetable plants. They don't appear to be moving, or at least they may be moving extremely slowly. I have seen them for the past month or so, beginning in May. I'm living near Sacramento, CA.

See a semi-clear close-up photo of an individual here: http://cmccabe.freeshell.org/images/white-bug-on-petunia-leaf.jpg

Thanks to anyone who can help me ID these insects!

This message was edited Jun 14, 2008 3:54 PM

This message was edited Jun 14, 2008 3:54 PM

Post #5104758

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ceejaytown The Woodlands, TX(Zone 9a) Jun 15, 2008

These look like the sheds of aphids. IOW, as they grow, they must shed their skin, or exoskeleton. I can see other small aphids on the plants too. They are yellow, with "stove pipes" sticking out the top rear of their abdomens. Aphids are sucking insects, and they will cause discoloration where they are feeding. They do not cause holes in plants, so if you have holes, that will have been caused by a different insect - a chewing insect, like a beetle or caterpillar.

Post #5105609

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cwmccabe Davis, CA Jun 15, 2008

Thanks ceejaytown. I used a needle to pick a few of them off the plants so I could get a closer look, and I think you're definitely correct that they are aphid exoskeletons. (I used the needle, BTW, because they're so small, not because they're stuck to the plant.)

For anyone else who may follow this up, I found a few more pictures online, searching (now) for aphid exoskeletons:

http://www.geocities.com/hibiscusred/bug/aphidsclosehib.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/535756815_29d77ae136.jpg?v=0