Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Black Stuff all over leaves, 1 by UniQueTreasures

UniQueTreasures wrote:
Hi Carter,

Boy oh Boy! Now I'm really confused! Here I've been thinking I've got aphids for about a week. And I don't????

There are several varieties of that particular bug hanging out back. Some are solid orange. Some have black and orange. They range from 1/4 of an inch in length to about 1 inch.

I looked up aphids on the BugGuide and would have sworn that the bug I showed before was in that group. Now that I just checked again, you are absolutely right. I do have the Milkweed Assassin Bugs. There are a lot of similarities in the aphids and the assassins. I haven't really seen that they have done any "damage" to the leaves that I've found them on.

So if not these guys, what else could be causing the black sooty mold on the leaves?

I do have some of these guys hanging out in the yard. They look like snowflakes that are about the size of a gnat.