This is the first time I’ve seen any leaf-eating caterpillar show any interest in my outdoor avocado leaves. Any ideas what it might be? I decided to squish rather than keeping in a jar this time. It had folded the leaf over completely, so I tore that open as you can see in the first photo.
Edit:
It appears to be some species of leafroller, though doesn’t look like the one that specializes in avocado (Amorbia cuneana). The Washington Invasive Species Council gives this list of leafrollers known to be in the state:
There are several exotic leafrollers of concern that are present in Washington. Some of these species include the apple tortrix (Archips fuscocupreanus), apricot moth (Ditula angustiorana), garden rose tortrix (Acleris variegana), green budworm (Hedya nubiferana), barred fruit tree tortrix (Pandemis cerasana), European fruit tree tortrix moth (Archips podana), dark fruit tree tortrix (Pandemis heparama), European leafroller (Archips rosanus), and the carnation tortrix (Cacoecimorpha promubana).
Other common names for research: leaffolder, leaftier.
Your tentative ID is possible, but green caterpillars with reddish heads are a dime a dozen.
One of your photos shows an apparent leg arrangement of: 3 protolegs and two near the rear.
Did the larva have any inchworm or looper movements?
No inchworm-like movements, but I’m not sure what looper movements would look like. It didn’t move very quickly, seemed like basic normal caterpillar “walking.”
Looper movements: highly-arched at mid-body. Lifts head and drops forward, then brings up rear legs, causing arched back. Moves an inch at a time, hence: inchworm.
this was early development stage; at first i thought it was Cryptomyzus ribis, then I gave up on ID - there are more than 10 (more than 15?) species od aphids found on Ribes, and this one not fully developed too.
But really small number on leaves - 1 or 2 per leaf that I could notice (with loupe). It goes around and pokes the tissue.
This one is more on the “disease” side than “insect,” but I’m curious what the issue could be. I’ve never grown grapes, so don’t know what usually afflicts them.
One of my neighbors has a grape vine that came with their house and produces heavily most years, small green-gold fruit that are very sweet and soft. This year, for the first time, many of the leaves look very diseased, with bubbles on top and a thick fuzz below. I assume this is fungal?
all my gooseberries and currant leaves look like that. aphids here so i sprayed with sevin for bugs and immunox yesterday to keep out the W.P.B.R and mildew. been very wet here as well and the rest of this week is raining again.
That was my initial thought when googling fungal grape diseases, but none of the photos looked quite right. I think @no07 nailed it based on the link above.
I spotted a dead limb on a ~4yr old apple tree and at first assumed fireblight. Once I looked closer though there was no “crook” on the end. I gently tugged on it and it broke off easily.
These are a lot bigger than the woolly aphids I have seen before. Not knowing if the ones I have seen ever got bigger or not. I usually spray them to get them off my trees or plants.
The “fluff” may be the fruiting bodies of a parasitic fungus. If you or someone nearby use Botanigard or some similar fungal insecticide, you could be seeing results like that. Just a guess.
I found this beatle in my back yard. It is too late for the June Beatle, bigger than Japanese Beatle, yes I saw a Japanese yesterday, and they are coming.
Please identify it and tell me it is good guy or bad guy. thanks
Google Lens gives this ID, which looks like it’s probably right to me?
Relevant bit:
Food
Adults feed on grape (Vitis) foliage and fruit, both wild and cultivated species. Not a serious pest. (2)
Larvae host on dead Acer, Celtis, Juglans, Malus, Platanus, Quercus, Ulmus spp.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid on stumps and rotting logs. Larvae feed on decaying roots and stumps of trees, pupate in adjacent soil. Life cycle takes about two years. Adults emerge May-September and come to lights
And since they come to lights, they probably also fly on the full moon?
