AusBonsai

A bunch of these little red things fell off one of my trees that isn't so healthy. Anyone know what they are? I was thinking butterfly eggs but none of the google images of them look like these.

Red spider mite. Spray them or they can kill your tree. Use a systemic insecticide.

Josh

Thanks!

NOT red spider mite, they are too big!

Don't spray yet, they may be predator mites, which are large, red and prey on the bad spider mites. If you have the bad mites there should be very fine webbing under leaves and in nooks and crannies. The bad mites are about the size of the full stop at the end of this sentence.

Your photo is not clear enough for a positive ID.

Paul

63pmp wrote: If you have the bad mites there should be very fine webbing under leaves and in nooks and crannies.
Paul

Could be linked with your other post Beano?

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=16815&p=170717#p170717

Jason wrote:

63pmp wrote: If you have the bad mites there should be very fine webbing under leaves and in nooks and crannies.
Paul

Could be linked with your other post Beano?

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=16815&p=170717#p170717

Good call Jason.

Butterfly eggs with legs Even my poor tired old eyes can see legs on these things.
Mites or aphid? You might need to get a magnifying glass to see how many legs they've got. That will help to narrow down the possibilities.

There were some black/green aphids on this plant as well. Maybe they are red ones? I couldn't see the legs sticking out and they didn't move on my hands, that's why I thought they were eggs of some sort. If I find some more, I'll get the macro lens out and get a high resolution close up.

Ok, got the macro lens out. They kind of look like scale insects? But too small?

Not what I thought at all.
Now that you have better pics you could try posting them on bowerbird - http://www.bowerbird.org.au
Its a ne site by the museum of Vic that allows ordinary people like us post sightings. Others may then be able to identify the sighting for you. You will need to supply a date and location for the sighting then all the records help build up a database of life in Australia over time. Authenticated sightings are regularly transferred to the Atlas of Living Australia. Citizen science at its best.

I think that they are juvenile Wooly Aphids. https://www.google.com.au/search?q=wool ... B500%3B376

Ok, I think they are weed seeds. I dug my liquidambar colander up out of the styro box and there were these tiny little pops and a whole bunch of things hit my hand. When I looked at my hand I was covered in the red things. The weed which I think produces them has small pods on them which contain white versions of these red discs. Somehow they fling the seeds onto whatever disturbs them and they get further spread.

That weed is oxalis. It is terribly persistent weed in the pots. The seed pods dry out and explode(?)/ pop open and spray the seeds all over. It also spreads by runners and has tuberous roots which can re-sprout when you pull the top of the plant out. There are a number of species both introduced and natives. Most have potential to be weedy. I didn't know the seeds look like that because I've never looked at them closely.

I try to get rid of it well before it flowers. A wipe with undiluted glyphosate on a small paintbrush is the most effective strategy I have found.

The certainly fling well, these seeds are on the leaves of ALL of my bonsai plants - except the swampies, but don't don't have usual leaves.