CLOSED: Help! What is eating our Sweet Autumn Clematis?

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JeanK Deland, FL & Hot Spr, AR Aug 11, 2008

For the third year, some sort of beetle has decimated our Autumn Clematis. There is virtually nothing left but the stems. Sorry I can't get a photo now as it is pouring rain here in AR (a first for August in our 13 years here). We have sprayed with Sevin and they keep returning each year. We cut the plants back in the winter and the next year the plants are ravaged again.

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Aug 11, 2008

How large and what color were the beetles? Black blister beetles (Epicauta pennsylvanica) have been reported as damaging to clematis - see http://www.bbg.org/gar2/topics/wildlife/images/2005su_makingstink_2.jpg for an image.

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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Aug 11, 2008

Clematis terniflora is an invasive weed species anyway.

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JeanK Deland, FL & Hot Spr, AR Aug 11, 2008

Oh, but it smells sooooo good when you open the front door, clapya.

suunto, when I can get back outside and take a decent photograph of them, I will check to see if they are black blister beetles. When I first saw them, I thought they might be lightening bugs as they looked similar, but none of them glowed in the dark!

Thumbnail by JeanK
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claypa West Pottsgrove, PA(Zone 6b) Aug 11, 2008

Kudzu smells good, too. It's causing ecological damage to our country. I don't care if it smells like biscuits coming out of the oven, it's still a weed.

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JeanK Deland, FL & Hot Spr, AR Aug 12, 2008

It finally stopped raining and I was able to go out and look at the bugs. Think you are right suunto and thanks for the id. Tried to get a picture of them, but they are fast little critters and wouldn't stand still long enough for a good shot. I also saw some wheelbugs on the plants, but I know they are good bugs. Anyway, the clematis comes down after they bloom so that they won't spread seed around. I have redbuds in the yard which spread seed all around and I have been pulling up seedlings this year, however, I'm not getting rid of them, just because Mother Nature always provides an overabundance of seed.

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