What bug is this?Looking for the karate chop culprit (forum)

au0rey starts with ...
Does anyone know what bug this is? Only a few mm big and has 'horns' on its head...6 legged and brown in colour. Caught it on my chilli plant. I was trying to take a good picture when it jumped off somewhere!

Not sure if this is the bug that has been karate chopping my snow peas, radishes, nasturtiums and chilli leaves! A lot of leaves are eaten and chopped off together with their stems! Please help! Thanks!!!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 2nd June 2009 2:42pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
Found the bug again and took more pictures. Thanks!!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 2nd June 2009 7:02pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

Dekka says...
Looks like a horned Tree hopper. Being a sap-sucker on trees I'd say your damage was caused by some other culprit. Look for a cut-worm with a guilty look on its face.

Time: 2nd June 2009 7:06pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Dekka
Newcastle
#UserID: 102
Posts: 219
View All Dekka's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
Thanks Dekka!

Time: 2nd June 2009 9:14pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
I am beginning to think that my snow pea and chilli seedlings were destroyed by cut worms after doing some internet research...short of buying a torch to check them out at night.

Dekka, do you know if cut worms climb up plants and chop off stems? My large chilli plant has had young stems chopped off and leaves eaten in a zig zag manner. Nothing written about this on websites. It is a really big adult chilli plant growing in a pot.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 3rd June 2009 11:29am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
Hi Au0rey - this is just for interest - your problem looks like something a whole bigger than mine! It was ages b4 I found out what was eating my trees (this photo straw' guava leaves) until one day when I finally stopped and really looked quietly.
These spiny little weevils are so clever - they drop off the plant and play dead the moment they see u. If they stay on the plant - they actually move around the leaf or stem as u move - so that u can't see them!
I'm so glad my neighbours can't see me creeping up in slow motion on my plants... ;)
I put vaseline around the trunks now and collect them by hand when I have time.

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 3rd June 2009 1:12pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

Dekka says...
Hi, Audrey
If it is a cut-worm, it'll be hiding just under the surface of your soil directly under the plant. Since your chilli is in a pot, have a scratch around and you might see the blighter. If you find nothing it's probably something else like Amanda suggested. P.S. Just out of curiosity, Do you get Bogong moths down there?

Time: 3rd June 2009 1:21pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Dekka
Newcastle
#UserID: 102
Posts: 219
View All Dekka's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
Amanda,thanks for the info...I have not found any of these weevils but the chewing looks quite similar..do these weevils chop off your stems? And did you catch it at night? Do they feed specifically on some trees only?

Dekka, I will research on Bogong moths. I did see one or two moths recently..one flying into my house via the yard door..Do they chew?? I understand cut worms are laid by some moths. I have never heard of cut worms till you told me.

I have wrapped up my chilli plant with pot exposing only the top part of the plant and will see how much damage is done tommorrow.

Thanks for all your help!

Time: 3rd June 2009 5:57pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
Hi Au0rey, no they don't chop off at stems and they used to only eat the acacias - but they discovered the orchard and have developed more exotic tastes!

The only other suggestion I can think of, apart from Dekka's, is maybe those big grasshoppers - you hardly ever catch them in the act and they eat heaps in the same pattern - but not at nite. They have become active here in the month. I'm not really sure what kind of weevils and bugs u have over there - I get the odd 'elephant' weevil - and weevils seem to be active at night.

I'd go with Dekka's cutworm too - maybe u could lure it into a jar with some of the leaves. Have fun!! :)

Time: 3rd June 2009 6:21pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
I am almost devastated this morning!

My chilli plant was alright last night after I wrapped a large plastic sheet around it.

But to my horror, the cuprits have attacked my capsicums even though they were caged!!! My must be quite small but their damage is seriously huge!!

I was away for holiday for two weeks and came home finding my whole purple king bean plant (1 meter tall) totally disappeared from its place (only stake left). Now i think it must be those cuplrits!

I must find a torch to solve this mystery!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 4th June 2009 9:27am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
 
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
I have pulled up my capsicum plants and potted them and surrounded them with large plastic sheets...i dug the whole ground, as well as the pots of my chilli and nasturtiums which were attacked...but found no cut worms...

This is a mystery and I wonder what they are going to attack next.

Time: 4th June 2009 1:25pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
oh au0drey!! that is lots of damage! buggars - u sure u have got some little four legged friends doing that? We have had a mouse plague this summer - they ate my tuscan kale plant (for eg) down to a stump! maybe stick a mouse n rat trap down too?

Time: 4th June 2009 6:02pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
I am seriously puzzled. The capsicum plants were caged top and sides so there is no way mice can get in unless they are really small...hmm are there? The holes of the cage is about 2cm by 2cm...

Time: 4th June 2009 7:14pm

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees

amanda says...
yup - a mouse will get in there easy...only one way to find out!



Time: 4th June 2009 7:21pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author amanda19
geraldton.WA
#UserID: 2309
Posts: 4607
View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees

au0rey says...
Last night I went out around 10pm but didnt see any activity...I wonder what time they strike.

But i really took drastic measures yesterday before sunset- wrapping up all the vege and fruiting plants with large plastic sheets and even using laundry hampers! I placed the pot of half-ruined nasturtiums as a bait.

However, this morning when I went out to check, there is no sign of damage. Fewh! I think for now I will have to use plastic sheets and laundry hampers every night.

Everything is in pots, some in greenhouse and the only plant left at the vege patch is my avocado. Hope my potted ruined capsicum plants will survive transplanting shock from vege patch to pot.

Hope that will outsmart the cuprits whoever they are!
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 5th June 2009 8:33am

Reply | Edit | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author
Melbourne
#UserID: 0
Posts:
View All 's Edible Fruit Trees