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 As
the name implies, this is one of those exotic insect
pests that came into the
United States
from
Northern Europe
around 1915. The species, Plagiodera versicolora,
is now established throughout the eastern half of the
country.
Imported willow leaf
beetles are relatively small critters usually less than
1/4 inch in length with shiny, metallic blue-green
shells. Both the larvae and adult beetle feed on willows
and poplars.
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Like many beetles,
the key sign is the damage they do by eating he
leaves. Often this results in a "skeletonized"
effect but they also do a lot of chewing on the
edges of the leaves. In severe infestations, they
can make the leaves look pretty "ratty".
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From the tree's
standpoint, these insects are mostly a nuisance. The
primary problem is one of aesthetics in that the leaves
can look bad as the summer progresses.
Therefore, it is only
warranted to spray or otherwise treat this problem is
you have a specimen tree near the house or over a pond
where aesthetics are important to you. The tree does not
care.
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Note: We
have provided some general information and
observations on this topic aimed at the home
gardener. Before you take
any serious action in your landscape, check
with your state's land grant university's
Cooperative
Extension
Service for the most current,
appropriate, localized recommendations. |
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