Need Help Identifying This Damage

Lexx

Hello Everyone,

First let me say that I am very glad to have found a nexus for bonsai enthusiasts online. Very nice site. I've read through your site, and cannot find anything like what I'm experiencing.

I have a 6-7 year old Jasmine bonsai that has started to show some deformations on the underside of the leaves. I was hoping that you guys could help identify the source of the damage as it has me very worried.


I've attached a closeup of a leaf that has clear damage on its edge, and the following is a link to a picture of a leaf that has pronounced damage along its veins (that's what the majority of the damage looks like). http://saeven.net/leaf.jpg

Helpppp!
Alex

Attached Images

closeup.jpg (44.2 KB, 120 views)

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TreeBay

Is the plant indoors or outdoors?

You might examine it after dark with a flashlight and see if you can see any critters. The damage appears to be arranged along the leaf veins, so it doesn't look like chewing insects (caterpillar, locust things) more like sucking insects or larvae hatched from eggs of insects.

I think systemic insecticide would be a pretty sure bet on this one. Don't expect the infected leaves to "heal" but the newly formed ones should be disease-free.

Good luck,

Matt

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Lexx

Thank you SO much for a response..

The plant is indoors - and just this morning I'd spotted little white (visible to the eye) spider-looking insects on the top layer of soil. I wouldn't think that they were mites since most I've read here says that mites need hand lenses to see..

I have insecticidal soap, horticultural oil, this stuff from Safer's called EndAll, and detumescent earth (supposedly shears them when they come out). Would any of these do the trick?

Thanks again!!!
Alex

TreeBay

How about a photo of one of those little suckers? It looks like your camera has macro capability...

Most of the oils have to go on before the eggs hatch. They won't be effective against adults. I have no familiarity with BeAll, EndAll or its relatives. I looked it up and it is made with Pyrethrin, (Chrysanthemum extract). It's not going to hurt anything, but I can't say if it'll be effective. Good on chinch bugs apparently.

http://www.town.perth.on.ca/Chinch%20Bugs.pdf

If it doesn't work with you, go with a systemic insecticide. It will get them when they bite into the vascular tissues.

I couldn't find anything on "detumescent" that wasn't a porn site. Maybe you mean "diatomaceous" earth?

Regards,

Matt

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Lexx

Detumescent haha - ya diatomaceous - that's the one. Sorry don't know where that one came from - porn sites? Perhaps a freudian slip!

Do you have any recommendations as far as systemic insecticides go? What's the scoop on Neem oil? Seen it pop up alot around here.

The pic was actually my scanner, I have a killer scanner but no camera. I could try to catch one and then try to scan it without squishing it too much.

The bug is clear-colored, has 6 legs - slightly pinkish tinge, two antennae seems like (unless they are very short frontal legs in which case they'd have 8 legs). Has three parts, and its abdomen is very big compared to the rest (very spiderish). I'll see if I can't snag one.

Lexx

This is as good as my scanner can do..

Attached Images

bug.jpg (17.0 KB, 73 views)

Lexx

I drenched the soil with insecticidal soap - but they are still around. I guess that wasn't enough...endall is no deal either...tough little bastards. The concentrated soap fragged them right away mind you. I can never spot them on the leaves though...either they are ninja bugs, or the leaves are something else...

The lines are millimeters...

Attached Images

bug2.jpg (8.7 KB, 67 views)

TreeBay

Jasmine is an acid loving plant, so soap in the soil is probably not in its long term interest. You might want to follow up in the next week with some Miracid (Miracle-Gro's acidic fertilizer), and flush it through the soil.

That's a weird looking bug to be sure. Looks a little flat here.

Maybe this link will help with the systemics.

http://www.google.com/search?source...cticide+jasmine

Regards,

Matt

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Lexx

Ever heard of Cygon 2E ?