What's eating my Sour Orange?

Hi! I have a two year old Seville Orange that I recently planted in my garden. After several weeks, it has finally settled in and bright new leaves are beginning to show. Within hours, probably, after something, I suspect some bug/insect, discovered them, each new leaf shows round bites have been taken out. I know it's not mealy bugs because I'm fighting them on many of my fruit trees and they look different. It can't be iguanas, unless very small, light weight ones, because this new tree cannot support much weight at all. Besides iguana bite marks on my other plants aren't so neatly rounded. I've attached a photo. Any suggestions as to what could be biting my new leaves? Whatever it is, it's greedy. You'll notice a small bit of leaf left on another leaf as though it had fallen out of the biter's mouth.

Go out with a flashlight at night and look for large ants, it looks like the leafcutters have taken a taste. They can strip a full grown orange tree in one night though so it may not be them. I'd still look at night. My orange had some caterpillars that were eating it, they were not as neat however but they also only were out at night.

If it is leafcutters, there is only one thing I know of that works and it is called Trompa. I bought a jar at Home Depot out on Prolongación but they sell it in many places. It is a pellet and you put it in their path and they prefer it to other stuff and carry it home and it kills the colony. It worked for me, they had devoured most of the lily pads on my pond.

Thanks! Sounds reasonable. It's about 1.30 am. I should probably go outside right now. Hope they aren't scared off by lights but I can't find my way out back there easily without turning on a few lights. Flashlight isn't enough, I don't think but I'll try.

In any case, I'll buy the Trompa. I plan to go to Home Depot in the morning. How do I know what their path is? Will I see a whole line of them climbing up the tree? I'll figure it out. Will report back tomorrow. Thanks again. Muy amable! bb

Brilliant! Only saw two because all the fresh tender leaves had been devoured! One was up near the top trying to get one last bite and the other was wending his/her way through the mulching leaves to the edge of the grass and then disappeared. Hope to make them disappear with the same alacrity they've made my young leaves vanish. Thanks so much for your sharp eye and good help. I'll post another shot when the leaves grow back and are left whole. Cheers, bb (eternal optimist)

We followed their path from the pond, up the wall, and across the wall into the neighbor's overgrown yard. We put the pellets on top of the wall in their path and the next night they were all over them, we had to refill the pile twice. We ended up using about half the bottle before they stopped coming for more.

They are everywhere here and no doubt will be back from another nest but now I can get to them right away as long as I notice it early. Good luck.

Thanks to you, I got the Trompa and as I was getting ready to put the pellets out at 5 this afternoon, I saw one ant carrying a piece of leaf looking just like the model on the bottle. Checked again a little while ago, around 8.30, and there was an ant carrying a piece of leaf back up the tree trunk almost to the top. Abruptly, it then turned around and returned to earth. Does this stuff disorient them?

I'll keep an eye on the tree and the area to make sure there are no more returns. Again, my gratitude. bb

Good, I'm glad you got it and can save your tree. They are incredible ants, very specialized and have an intricate culture. However, they are able to destroy your garden very quickly so I have no mercy.

Query & comment:
I've been using old dry leaves as a kind of mulch around my trees. Does it make sense to clear much of those leaves away from the tree trunk to put down more Trompa pellets?

My comment about the ants is that you're right. They are pretty amazing. I've been reading about them and reading a few anecdotes in blogs about them, too (which suggests why i'm still working at 3 am!) and I find it interesting that while water is mentioned in connection with them, everything I've read also mentions a rock wall...or at least a wall.

I have a rock wall running the long length of my garden as well as across the back. An hour or two ago, as I was putting out grapes for the iguanas, I noticed a number of brown ants that looked like the cutter ants appearing to explore the crannies of the wall. They weren't terribly far from the Seville Orange tree but infact a walkway of cement flagstones that goes around the patio at one end of the pool seemed to be the source. That's putting it too strongly, they were coming across the flagstones from that direction. Once they reached the wall, they seemed to be wandering rather than following a direct route.

It makes me wonder if they use interior spaces in walls to grow their fungus as well as in their mounds.

This is probably enough cutter ant talk for anyone, particularly since I'm new to the list and have yet another, different question. I'll stop. But again, your help was spot-on. Thanks.

Beside a problem with ants. Citrics are a host plant for a beautiful butterfly= Heraclides crespontes

I wonder if that is the butterfly that has laid ravenous caterpillars in my citrus. The caterpillars are mottled, they seem to match the trunk of the tree, when you poke at them or grab them they extrude bright red feelers. They look like they would sting, they are also covered in fine hairs and are about as big as my little finger. I'm kind of scared of them but I'm not happy with them eating my tree no matter what they may turn into later.

I got to meet bbode the other day and see her beautiful home and yard. She also seems to have the evidence of these caterpillars on her lime tree. It looks like the Trompa got the leafcutter ants though.