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Old 07-06-2009, 12:51 PM posted to rec.gardens
enigma enigma is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2007
Posts: 668
Default need help identifying bugs on burning bush plants

YvonneD wrote in

om:

We have many large burning bush plants. I noticed that most of
the the new leaves are deformed. On closer inspection I saw
some insects on the leaves. One is black and orange and about
1/2" long. See photo he

http://home.comcast.net/~jbcamel/eba...korangebug.jpg

The other is mostly orange and looks like a beetle and is the
same size as a lady bug:

http://home.comcast.net/~jbcamel/ebay/beetlebug.jpg

Sorry the photos aren't sharper.


lady bug larvae. they're the good guys!

In addition to the bugs there are lots of little white spots on
the leaves. They look like aphids but they could also be eggs.


probably dead aphid shells left by the ladybug larvae.

In addition to the bushes they also have destroyed my Berber
Daisy plants.


no, ladybugs don't destroy plants. they eat the aphids which suck
the sap out of your plants, causing deformation &, if you have a
large infestation, death.

Can someone tell me what these bugs are and what we should do to
get rid of them?


you don't want to get rid of them. they're taking care of your
underlying aphid peoblem.
BTW, burning bush is an invasive non-native shrub. if it was my
yard i'd get rid of it (well, i've gotten rid of the two that were
here when i moved in. i'm still mowing down & pulling out the
stupid seedlings. hundreds of them). native plants are easier to
maintain anyway, plus they bring native bugs & songbirds to your
garden. isn't that the purpose of a garden, to feed & shelter?
lee