Some weird bug on my Crepe Myrtles

You bug people...can y'all tell me what the heck is eating my Crepe Myrtle leaves? I see the vermin but they move too fast for me to get a good picture.

I've got them all over and they are chowing on the leaves...esp the new growth leaves. There are tons of them on there. They are brown, about 1/2"-2/3" long, have wings, same width as the stem and move fast. When I look at them...they see me and move quickly to the other side of the stem as if to hide from me. When I lift the stem and look at them, they move to the other side. If I go to squish them, they fly away. Of course, they come right back.

I also found one on my hibuscus and squished the bugger!! i have never seen this bug before. You gotta move fast to smoosh them. My DH says to use 7dust on the CM. What do y'all think?

Thanks, Michelle

well I can't tell from the description what insects you have, but I can say that if you use Sevin on the crepe myrtle and it is flowering, that you might potentially kill bees and butterflies that come to visit it later. You might be better off using something that will degrade faster in the environment, but that should (hopefully ) kill your pests. Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide, usually does the job for me on flea beetles (the only bug I really have difficulties with), and "goes away" quickly so as to not harm as many beneficial and harmless inscets.

One precaution: though Pyrethrins are for the most part a low hazard choice under normal circumstances, they can be toxic to fish, so if your crepe myrtles are close to an aquatic area or fish pond, I wouldn't recommend them. Otherwise there should be no problem, because the material is too short-lived to get into runoff.

Also for most pests, a systemic such as imidicloprid could work. It isn't "natural" per se , but theoretically it should only harm insects that are chewing on your bushes. It might take a while for the material to get through the plant's system, however.

Thanks Nightbloom for the good info.

Here is a link to a page of leaf beetles, they all eat holes in leaves or eat the whole leaf. They move fast and hide on the other side of the leaf when you start to spray or even touch the plant. I sprayed over and over with pyrethrins and finally got them all but not before they completely stripped a fuchsia.
I've read that elm leaf beetle likes crepe myrtle.

I have those sharpshooter's that dance around when you try and look at them. I don't know what kind of damage they do tho.

konkreteblonde - usually they don't do much damage at all. Generally they are in too few numbers to do much of anything. They aren't considered much of a pest, so you can just enjoy them.

I don't think they are leaf beetles. I looked them up and it looks nothing like the pictures. They do actually eat quite a bit of the leaves on the CM. And they decided to get on my geraniums and hibiscus. So I called out a war cry and sprayed them. i saw some of them mating (they were hooked together so I assume that is what they were doing) and didn't want a bunch more of these critters...so bye bye bug.

Kondreteblond, so you know what these things are? You have them on your plants?

I'm not sure what you have, but the ones that I have that run around to the other side of the plant when you get near are the sharpshooters. I'm thinking they are like leafhoppers or maybe a family member. ?

Do they look like this? I have these but have never seen anything damaged by them.
http://www.invasivespecies.gov/profiles/gwss.shtml

Ah YES! That is the critter I have. I didn't clue in that sharpshooter was its name in your first email to me. Sorry. I thought you had given him a nickname. haha. So you haven't seen him eat any of your leaves? I don't actually see him in the act, but they are the only vermin on my CM and there are leaves eaten...esp the newer leaves. They do run to the other side of the stem on the plant when they see you...I have hand squished many of the buggers. They have wings and will fly/jump away if you get too close to them. They are very fast. I have not ever seen one of these before. Maybe they are Texas-only bugs?

Thanks blond for figuring out what my bug is! I'll research him more and see the proper way to get rid of him. I did use the sevindust but was careful not to get it on or near blooms so I don't kill of bees or butterflies. We have tons of bees and butterflies so I don't think I did any damage there. hopefully.

kkb
If I use a systematic, does it affect the nectar? Many are using Sayers and I love those B & Bs.
sidney

Apparently these things are very bad for citrus and grape crops:
http://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/xylella/oss.html
And it does say that it prefers ornamental woody plants like Crepe Myrtles and Eucalyptus. Causes some plants to look like they are white washed b/c of all the eggs they lay. Gross!

I'll be on the watch for sure now.
sidney

Well geez, I thought I was just joining in on a thread, not finding out this bug is bothering MY crepe myrtles! lol I do have 2 trees on the side of the house where I see a lot of these. I thought that the trees always had powdery mildew. I guess I'll have to go outside today and inspect them!

I have no idea how to control these things because as you've noticed, they're hard to see/find/hit. I don't use chemicals, except lately I've had to use some pyrethrin to kill lace bugs. I guess I'll try some organic approaches first since I'm not seeing any damage actually happening, unlike from the lacebugs which are destroying my zinnias and yarrow. gggggrrrrrr!!!

Sidney, I don't know anything about systemic pesticides. I have only used one, which was some Bayer rose recommended for my Brugs, but it's in a pot. I'm afraid to use the systemic stuff on my beds because...if I put it down, then the bad bugs eat it, but my toads eat the bad bugs, won't it kill my toads and other good bugs that eat the bad bugs? This is something I've been wanting to ask NB about. If I can remember I'll try to start a thread.

Start that thread, since I don't know NB (?). And give me a link to it.
I have lizards and don't want to kill those. I know bugs dosed with
ddt killed out a lot of bluebirds in particular. Any info is appreciated.
sidney

Wonder if this would work? http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/515274/
sidney

sugar, I just read that link. Very interesting. Those are the folks I chat with a lot on the tomato forum. I had no clue that the leaves on mater plants were poisonous. yikes. I have to say that I did use the sevindust on my CM and that did the trick. I think next time I'll try soapy water and see if the sharpshooter bugs off. I was so frustrated with those dang things and saw them mating so I panicked and used sevindust.

blond, did you find the sharpshooters on your CMs? My neighbor's CMs are white but I thought it was mildew as well. DH says it is mildew and not sharpshooter eggs. But I can't tell.

Michelle

That is cured with Baking soda spray.
sidney

I forgot to look at the CM. I sprayed it yesterday with potassium bicarbonate (from GardenVille) and passed by today didn't notice the white stuff. I don't think that it was eggs either, but I wasn't going to say for sure since I'm currently trying to find a pair of disposable contacts that fits my eyes, therefore not seeing very clearly, and bugs are appearing different to my naked eye.

Sidney, Night_Bloom posted on this thread. He/she (?) is an entomologist (sp?) and is a HUGE help on this forum. (check out the Friend or Foe threads)

Thanks I will.