Acer Palmatum Shindeshojo - Aphids

[Dorky_gearhead]

I was going to say to look for the caterpillar, because those black dots are their poop.

 

[ajm55555]

Do they really? Like leaf aphids? Black leaf aphids

Look for "black aphids" on Google ;-)
Besides some aphids tend to get the color of the leaves they suck.

 

[Shibui]

I get black aphids on the cherry and plum trees in the orchard. Harder to get rid of than the soft, green ones on roses. The black ones make the leaves curl up so they have somewhere to hide and that makes them harder to spray. Grey aphids feed on cabbage family. Not coloured by the plant but a different species which is naturally grey.
Have occasionally seen aphids on Japanese maples but fortunately not here yet.
A assume that different aphid species prefer different host plants which is why we see the ones we recognise on a narrow range of plants.

 

[Olific]

That is a shame. It looks like an aphid that has been attacked by a parasitic wasp. These tiny wasps are really good at keeping aphid numbers down but routinely spraying your insects tends to kill them off as well. The parasitised aphids don’t look like the live ones and are easily spotted once you know what they look like. Search the net for “aphid mummies”, there is plenty of info and pictures

I caught a picture of one those flying insects I saw. Seems to match the description.

 

[LanceMac10]

tree has a bit of everything, don't it?!?!

aphids, caterpillars, the weird bulge in the leaf....yikes!!!

squish the black bugs like they were pimples, check every shoot to the tip where the sweet juice be....they like that stuff. Get some spray to deal with the unruly ones that escape your grasp. Ant in silhouette dead give away for an infestation.


.......squish, squish, sprish, sprish!!!

 

[leatherback]

tree has a bit of everything, don't it?!?!

aphids, caterpillars, the weird bulge in the leaf....yikes!!!

It is almost as if the plant is growing outside in nature!

 

[Olific]

Quick update: The aphids have now been over run by a massive amount of these parasitic wasps. From my research it seems that they don't actually harm the tree. Should I let them stick around or is there any reason I should combat them?

 

[terryb]

Quick update: The aphids have now been over run by a massive amount of these parasitic wasps. From my research it seems that they don't actually harm the tree. Should I let them stick around or is there any reason I should combat them?

The only thing the wasps are interested in is the aphids. Leave them be and they will keep your aphids under control. If you have other plants with aphids, they will quickly control those too. Win:win situation

 

[Olific]

The only thing the wasps are interested in is the aphids. Leave them be and they will keep your aphids under control. If you have other plants with aphids, they will quickly control those too. Win:win situation

That's what I thought, just wanted to double check. Thx for the response

 

[Maloghurst]

Look for "black aphids" on Google ;-)
Besides some aphids tend to get the color of the leaves they suck.

@Mike Hennigan
I’ll make it easy for you, found these on my mock orange in the landscape couple weeks ago. Found a few on my Japanese maple bonsai as well.

 

[Maloghurst]

Glitch

 

[Olific]

@Mike Hennigan
I’ll make it easy for you, found these on my mock orange in the landscape couple weeks ago. Found a few on my Japanese maple bonsai as well.
View attachment 243686View attachment 243687

Woah, now that is an infestation.

 

[Maloghurst]

You know what they say “ Mo bonsai Mo problems”