Something is eating my orange, grapefruit, lemon, and peach tree leaves, but it is not touching my banana trees; SW Florida.

Orange tree leaves chewed:



Grapefruit tree leaves chewed:



Grapefruit tree losing leaves:



Peach tree leaves chewed:



The only insects I have noticed on the tree is this, and each are about 1/2 inch long:

I've just about exhausted my efforts trying to figure out what kind of insect it is. Looks beetle-like.


I have not yet applied any type of insecticide; I don't really know what to apply or if I even should apply any.

What are these white insects?
Could they be the culprits eating my leaves?
How to stop the culprits?

Thanks!

 

Your beetle is actually a weevil and is either a new pest to the US (Myllocerus undatus Marshall) or the native (Artipus floridanus Horn). Aren't you lucky? This site will show you how to distinguish which you have as I can't tell if the head is yellowish and if there are spines on the rear legs from the angle of your picture.
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp...est-alert.html

Here's some ideas of what to do.
http://butterflies.heuristron.net/others/undatus.html

Newt

 

Wow, thanks Newt for that detailed info.

I am almost convinced it is the Myllocerus undatus Marshall due to the yellowish head as can be seen in this pic:


I would like to apply some sort of pesticide to stop them. I'd rather try something organic first, as opposed to poison. I read that some people use Neem oil, murphy oil, and also garlic, and spray it on the leaves. Not sure what to try first.

 

Just to follow up.

I checked the trees this morning and I found more weevils. I checked for the spikes on the dorsal leg and found that it is present. So this must be the Myllocerus Undatus Marshall.

Update: This species is confirmed by M.C. Thomas, Ph.D. Dr. Thomas also gave me this to reivew:
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp...irc/ent412.pdf

He said he can't give me good news when it comes to control.

 

I'm so sorry to read this. I wouldn't use Murphy Oil ever. Neem oil is popular but can also kill good insect predators. I'd start with something with garlic and if that doesn't work I'd go to Neem Oil or another dormant oil spray. Most dormant oils are made from petroleum so an organic one would be my recommendation. Oraganocide is made from sesame seeds. Don't confuse it with Organicide. Here's organic sprays you can make.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page14.html

This explains about Neem, Organocide and Organicide.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/no...her/not45.html

Here's a list of pests that you can make organic remedies for. You might want to keep this.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page9.html

You can also keep this one for home made organic remedies for disease control.
http://www.ghorganics.com/page15.html

I would hope they will be able to come up with a soil drench that will kill the larvae. Here's some organic sprays you can make.

Please report back and let us know what you find might work. You might want to put a sheet under the area you spray to see if the adult weevils fall onto it. I'm leaving tonight for a week so if I don't respond, you'll know why. I won't have computer access.

Good luck!
Newt

 

I have read that you can make a biological insecticide by mincing onion, garlic, and pepper, adding water, then spraying on the plant leaves.

I did just that this weekend, and although it awakened and seemed to have killed lots of red ants, the weevils seemed unphased by the concoction.

So since I refuse to go out there daily and pick these #$$%@ bugs off of my trees, I don't think there is any further action I can take right now.