Was answering questions yesterday from a coach load of German visitors and
was asked one that completely puzzled me.
They wanted to know what to do about a small green insect which they called
cicada's which arrive in late summer and feed on the flower buds of their
rhodos making them brown.
We don't grow any rhodos so I had no idea but I was not aware of any insect
pest in Cornwall causing these sort of problems, is this something we can
look forward to like Lilly beetle?

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

On 30/8/07 09:52, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:

Was answering questions yesterday from a coach load of German visitors and
was asked one that completely puzzled me.
They wanted to know what to do about a small green insect which they called
cicada's which arrive in late summer and feed on the flower buds of their
rhodos making them brown.
We don't grow any rhodos so I had no idea but I was not aware of any insect
pest in Cornwall causing these sort of problems, is this something we can
look forward to like Lilly beetle?

http://tinyurl.com/2c2nsb

This seems to be what the Germans call Zikade.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On 30/8/07 10:19, in article
, "Sacha"
wrote:

On 30/8/07 09:52, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:

Was answering questions yesterday from a coach load of German visitors and
was asked one that completely puzzled me.
They wanted to know what to do about a small green insect which they called
cicada's which arrive in late summer and feed on the flower buds of their
rhodos making them brown.
We don't grow any rhodos so I had no idea but I was not aware of any insect
pest in Cornwall causing these sort of problems, is this something we can
look forward to like Lilly beetle?

http://tinyurl.com/2c2nsb

This seems to be what the Germans call Zikade.

I found a German site. The creature is shown here
http://tinyurl.com/2vmv3l and it is Graphocephala fennahi.
The bad news (if I understood the German site correctly) is that it's in
southern England and it also attacks Camellias.
http://www.kamelien.de/magazin/nr03/insect.htm


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 30/8/07 10:19, in article
, "Sacha"
wrote:

On 30/8/07 09:52, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:

Was answering questions yesterday from a coach load of German visitors
and
was asked one that completely puzzled me.
They wanted to know what to do about a small green insect which they
called
cicada's which arrive in late summer and feed on the flower buds of
their
rhodos making them brown.
We don't grow any rhodos so I had no idea but I was not aware of any
insect
pest in Cornwall causing these sort of problems, is this something we
can
look forward to like Lilly beetle?

http://tinyurl.com/2c2nsb

This seems to be what the Germans call Zikade.

I found a German site. The creature is shown here
http://tinyurl.com/2vmv3l and it is Graphocephala fennahi.
The bad news (if I understood the German site correctly) is that it's in
southern England and it also attacks Camellias.
http://www.kamelien.de/magazin/nr03/insect.htm

This is where google is very handy. A search of the insect by its Latin
name shows that it's called the Rhododendron Leafhopper. That its a native
of the US and is indeed in the UK and that it sucks the sap of rhodos:
http://www.uksafari.com/rhodihopper.htm
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/goog...No=20053082010

If it made the sounds of the cicadas that I know so well, I'd say that they
would be worth any damage to the rhodos. Their sound says summer and long
hot days - much loved and sought after by little boys with wonderful names
like Black Prince and Yellow Monday IIRC.

On 30/8/07 14:05, in article
, "FarmI"
ask@itshall be given wrote:

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
snip
I found a German site. The creature is shown here
http://tinyurl.com/2vmv3l and it is Graphocephala fennahi.
The bad news (if I understood the German site correctly) is that it's in
southern England and it also attacks Camellias.
http://www.kamelien.de/magazin/nr03/insect.htm

This is where google is very handy. A search of the insect by its Latin
name shows that it's called the Rhododendron Leafhopper. That its a native
of the US and is indeed in the UK and that it sucks the sap of rhodos:
http://www.uksafari.com/rhodihopper.htm
http://www.cababstractsplus.org/goog...No=20053082010

If it made the sounds of the cicadas that I know so well, I'd say that they
would be worth any damage to the rhodos. Their sound says summer and long
hot days - much loved and sought after by little boys with wonderful names
like Black Prince and Yellow Monday IIRC.


When I was Googling for what Charlie was talking about, I learned that
there's only one site for cicadas in UK and that's in the New Forest, though
there might be a few escapees about.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Sacha" wrote
When I was Googling for what Charlie was talking about, I learned that
there's only one site for cicadas in UK and that's in the New Forest,
though
there might be a few escapees about.

Exbury Gardens perhaps? I hope not.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

On 30/8/07 17:49, in article , "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
When I was Googling for what Charlie was talking about, I learned that
there's only one site for cicadas in UK and that's in the New Forest,
though
there might be a few escapees about.

Exbury Gardens perhaps? I hope not.

That's exactly what I thought when I read it - exactly!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 30/8/07 17:49, in article , "Bob
Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
When I was Googling for what Charlie was talking about, I learned that
there's only one site for cicadas in UK and that's in the New Forest,
though
there might be a few escapees about.

Exbury Gardens perhaps? I hope not.

That's exactly what I thought when I read it - exactly!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Well that's what they were talking about, but I wonder why they have such
problems in Germany when we don't see them here? they did mention they
"Arrive" so perhaps they move up from warmer southern Europe.
Anyway many thanks for the answers, it never occurred to me to look on
google because I thought the name had not survived the translation, but I
have heard of Rhodo leaf hopper although its not in Cornwall (so far as I
know)
Probably never be asked again!!

--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cultivars

On 31/8/07 08:32, in article , "Charlie
Pridham" wrote:


"Sacha" wrote in message
. uk...
On 30/8/07 17:49, in article , "Bob
Hobden"
wrote:


"Sacha" wrote
When I was Googling for what Charlie was talking about, I learned that
there's only one site for cicadas in UK and that's in the New Forest,
though
there might be a few escapees about.

Exbury Gardens perhaps? I hope not.

That's exactly what I thought when I read it - exactly!
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

Well that's what they were talking about, but I wonder why they have such
problems in Germany when we don't see them here? they did mention they
"Arrive" so perhaps they move up from warmer southern Europe.
Anyway many thanks for the answers, it never occurred to me to look on
google because I thought the name had not survived the translation, but I
have heard of Rhodo leaf hopper although its not in Cornwall (so far as I
know)
Probably never be asked again!!

--
It sounds as if it might be in southern England but whether that's the
colony in the New Forest or others that have been brought in with imported
stock, I don't know.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message

Well that's what they were talking about, but I wonder why they have such
problems in Germany when we don't see them here? they did mention they
"Arrive" so perhaps they move up from warmer southern Europe.

If they like others members of the cicada family, I'm faily sure that they
would 'arrive' because they emerge from wherever it is that they pupate (if
pupate is the correct word). I seem to recall that the Australian ones lay
their eggs in the ground and then emerge in the spring.

On 31/8/07 10:58, in article
, "FarmI"
ask@itshall be given wrote:

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message

Well that's what they were talking about, but I wonder why they have such
problems in Germany when we don't see them here? they did mention they
"Arrive" so perhaps they move up from warmer southern Europe.

If they like others members of the cicada family, I'm faily sure that they
would 'arrive' because they emerge from wherever it is that they pupate (if
pupate is the correct word). I seem to recall that the Australian ones lay
their eggs in the ground and then emerge in the spring.


When I was looking this up, I read of some in USA that take 17 years
underground before they emerge, feed, mate, lay eggs and so on for another
17 years.

--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'