Monday, September 02, 2013

Beautiful pests, beautiful pest control specialists

A couple of days ago, I noticed a few leafhoppers on one of the rhododendrons. I went out to look for them this afternoon, and there's been a population explosion; they're on all the rhodos now, hopping away merrily.

Rhododendron leafhopper, Graphocephala fennahi, a little under 1 cm. long.

These insects feed exclusively on the sap of rhododendrons. They may carry rhodo fungus disease, and may cause the shrub to drop its leaves, as well. But they're so pretty! I can't force myself to kill them, as a pest.

No matter; the eight-legged exterminators are on the job:

Happy cross spider, with leafhopper wrap.

The spiders are on every rhododendron, and on the evergreens around them. I checked about a dozen  webs this afternoon; the spiders are fat, and about half of them had a leafhopper in hand at the moment.

4 comments:

  1. Bugs are exploding this year. Last year, in the drought, they were scarce!

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  2. Those leaf hoppers ARE pretty.

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  3. Jennifer, we had very few bugs over the summer; too dry, I guess. Now that it has started to rain off and on, they're everywhere.

    Eileen, yes, they are. It's too bad that they damage the rhodos; the leaves turn yellow and drop off. I've been raking them up.

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  4. Both of them are so pretty, though...

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