Phygelius Pests
 

Can anyone please advise?

Last year, I had an infestation of beetles/weevils on my phygelius bed (nowhere else), by small oval bugs (like a rounder version of a weevil) very dark brown in colour with a pale cream patch on the back.

As well as blighting the blooms, they left a very distinctive black sticky substance (exactly like engine oil) coating the top leaves and buds. I responded by manual picking of those I could find and trimming all affected areas with secateurs and some plants did flower again at the end of the summer.

I have just inspected the plants again today and the bugs are back, dozens of them. As yet, there is not too much "oil" on the foliage and I've dealt with the bugs, so I might be able to control them manually.

But - what are they? I can't find them in any literature and their effects are severe. If there is a better way to control them, I'd be grateful to hear of it.

Captured a dozen or so and inspected them closely - definitely weevils, so I put phygelius weevil into Google and there they are : AKA figwort weevil.

[quote=brightace;524484]Can anyone please advise?


I have an infestion of what looks like Green Shield Bugs on my phygelius. This is the third summer on the run that they have devastated the blooms. They too leave an "engine oil" type substance on the leaves and buds, and also I notice tiny little black and white bugs (which actually look like bird droppings). I think these may be an instar, or stage, of the shield bugs lifecycle. They are pests. I have so far picked off four adult bugs and innumerable black and white ones.