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Insect Id

PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
in Wildlife gardening
Could anyone advise on what these insects are on my lovely potted acer butterfly? Sorry for the poor photos but they are very tiny and my camera phone is rubbish. They are aphid shaped but orange bodies with brown stripes. Some also have wings. They are grouping at the tips and along the new stems and leaves of the acer but otherwise the acer seems very healthy. There are a few old scale marks further down on the main stem but I’ve never noticed these insects in other plants with scale. 

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I really can't see them well enough, but try looking at ladybird larvae, especially if you have aphids around on plants just now, as they're great predators of them. There are lots of different shapes and sizes, as well as colours,  as they change and mature into adults. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Help to ID ladybird larvae here 

    https://www.field-studies-council.org/shop/publications/ladybird-larvae-guide/

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    Sorry unfortunately they aren’t ladybird larvae, I wish they were! I’ll try and get a better photo tomorrow. I’ve never seen these before in the garden but lucky to have all stages of ladybird. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Have a look here … any similarities?

    https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1072418/found-all-the-willow-bark-aphids#latest 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Poppypuss said:
    They are aphid shaped but orange bodies with brown stripes. Some also have wings.
    If it barks and wags it's tail...
    Yeah they're likely to be aphids. Acers have their own specific species of aphid which are as you describe with the winged ones being the adults. Personally I've never had a problem with just leaving them on the plant and letting the birds deal with them but a soap spray is effective at killing them if they're a problem.

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    This is an adult on one of my acers. Link below to the species data.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • PoppypussPoppypuss Posts: 143
    wild edges said:
    This is an adult on one of my acers. Link below to the species data.

    Yes that’s it thank you Wild edges! Thanks Dove for putting me onto the RHS site, it started happy google rabbit hole looking into aphids. Over 65 different ones in the UK 🙄
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I feel left out - not only are our Acers still to get any proper growth on them, but they never get aphids either... :D

    Glad you got the puzzle solved @Poppypuss :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Poppypuss said:

     Over 65 different ones in the UK 🙄
    680 species and sub-species recorded throughout the UK now. :#  Luckily your average gardener won't be afflicted with many of those.

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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