What Is Eating My Leaves And How Do I Kill It?

[ermentrude]

There is no better way to describe what this thing looks like than a tiny tadpole or giant sperm with a green stripe body and black head all covered in some white foam. I feel like I can feel them crawling all over me while I write. There were hundreds of them eating holes on one leaf. They had been to other leaves also, but were only on the one once I got there. I pulled the affected leaves off of the one plant and sprayed that leaf, and all 16 of my plants with soap / pepper combination.

I tried to Google what it could possibly be but am not describing it well enough. Please help - what is it and will the soap help or do I need to go stronger?



Click on the image to go to Google and you can zoom in to see in detail.

[BigVanVader]

Hard to see, but no idea regardless. I'd try dish soap to start. If that wont kill them I'd try Spinosad.

[AlittleSalt]

I have never seen anything like that. I would have pulled the leaves too.

I looked at pictures and only found one that looks anything like that. Info and this picture is from here https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/pla...pot-fungus.htm

[RayR]

Looks like it's fungal and it's sporulating. I blew it up a bit to get some detail.

[jmsieglaff]

Isn't there loads of tiny little green worms with black heads in the white area? Unless I'm seeing things. Think some BT will take care of the little worms.

[clkeiper]

maybe tomato pin worms. that is my first thought anyway. they are quite small for a caterpillar. they will becomes a major pest. spray the plants with spinosad or Bt (aka dipel).
https://extension.umd.edu/growit/insects/tomato-pinworm

[RayR]

Those aren't worms, remember I zoomed in quite a bit to see the detail. Those are conidia, the fungal spores are the round things on top. I'm thinking Powdery Mildew. ????
If they moving around then they are larva of some kind of bug..I have no idea.

[clkeiper]

It is larvae. I blew up even farther. Worms.

[RayR]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

It is larvae. I blew up even farther. Worms.

OK, I see. What kind of bug lays massive amounts of eggs in a white web-like mass, and the tiny larva eat holes in leaves?? Never seen anything like that before.

[AlittleSalt]

I actually looked up, "tiny tadpole or giant sperm with a green stripe body and black head all covered in some white foam." I only looked at the first page https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...=1496720506780 (It's safe)

I have looked up every idea from each post. It could be possible that this is a completely new insect. Thousands of new insects are found every year.

[Father'sDaughter]

I was thinking maybe some type of baby army worm. Regardless, definitely a pest, and looks like one that can be controlled by removing and destroying the leaves they are nesting on.

[KarenO]

I think what appears to be fungus is webbing or a nest/cocoon of some kind from which the little buggers have emerged. I am unfamiliar with ya'll 's southern bugs but removing them seems wise. have a look for any more white coccoony- webby business on undersides of other leaves.
KarenO

[Worth1]

I knew what is was the very minute I saw the first pictuer.
They are some type of skeletonising worm like you will find on oak leaves.
They come from possibly a sawfly or even a moth.

When you see stuff like this pull the whole leaf and spray it with raid or Windex then burn.
Look for more.
They are similar to web worms and tent caterpillars and even could be.
Just pulled a big nest of them off the lower leaf of a tomato plant the other day.
Worth

My vote is sawfly larva.

[ginger2778]

I think I found it. http://thailand.ipm-info.org/bt/Bt_Growers_guide.htm

[BigVanVader]

Nice work Marsha. Cluster caterpillars no doubt.