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Something attacking my Buddleia - shield bugs?

GranniegardenerGranniegardener Posts: 65
in Problem solving
In early summer I noticed that the leaves of my Buddleia 'Flower Power' plants, bought last year, were being nibbled, and lots of part-leaves had dropped on the lawn, making the plants look an awful mess. I couldn't see any bugs back then. The plants have recovered and are flowering well. I have just noticed some black & some green funky looking spotty shield bugs, of different sizes. Could they have been the culprits? And if so, do I need to do anything about them?

(I couldn't get a clear enough photo to attach)

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Shield bugs are harmless.
    The foliage is more likely to have been eaten by vine weevil or similar. Can you get a pic of the leaves?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GranniegardenerGranniegardener Posts: 65
    The leaves are fine now. Back in early summer around the same time, some were bound together, I thought maybe something had laid eggs. 
    Oh crikey, I hope it's not weevils, I hate the things, make me cringe!!
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    edited September 2020
    Leaves bound together sounds like some type of leaf-roller. They can then cause some damage to leaves if you leave them alone. I would not worry too much about that. Provided your shrub is growing strongly, you can prune or pinch out the leaves that are like that. They usually attack in the early part of the year when most plants grow the most. 
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    For the second year running I found loads of shield bugs on one of my Buddleias in early summer. They don't seem to harm the plants at all.
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