Pest on procumbens nana

[Matt3839]

Wondering if anyone can help me ID these two things on my juniper. One is white with small brown specs on it and sometimes they are just brown or black and look like tiny pebbles, I’ve attached some photos below.

The other thing was I found 3 or 4 of these small bugs crawling on it and pulled one off and photographed it crawling around my finger.

I did an infuse granular soak about a month ago on the juniper. In general I’ve been battling with maple scale on one of my Japanese maples and a lot of caterpillars and bugs in general this summer. :/

Tree’s health is overall very good though, no brown tips and foliage has put on quite a bit of scale foliage growth as well as juvenile.

Thanks.

 

[Paradox]

I think it might be some kind of beetle larvae.
Which beetle though, I don't know.
I would kill them because they could be bad

 

[RJG2]

Not 100% sure if they are in LA - but it really looks like a Rhyzobius lophanthae larvae. If so, it's a good guy.

From Wikipedia:

"Rhyzobius lophanthae, commonly known as the purple scale predator or the scale-eating ladybird, is a species of ladybird native to Queensland and Southern Australia. It was introduced into the United States in the 1890s and has since spread over the southern half of the country."

 

[RJG2]

This person in LA seems to have found one (and many adults):

Rhyzobius lophanthae maybe - Rhyzobius lophanthae

An online resource devoted to North American insects, spiders and their kin, offering identification, images, and information.

bugguide.net

 

[Dav4]

The subject of that 3rd pic reminds me of a lady bug larva... an other good guy. I have no idea why it would be on a juniper but .

 

[RJG2]

The subject of that 3rd pic reminds me of a lady bug larva... an other good guy. I have no idea why it would be on a juniper but .

That's what I thought, just without the orange/red stripe - so I looked around, and it seems it is a type of "ladybird" introduced from Australia.

So look for scale on the juniper? Seems like that's what these guys like.

 

[Matt3839]

Hmm ok. Did the pictures with the red circled areas look like scale?

 

[Matt3839]

After looking Closer at my other plants I noticed this small procumbens that also has what I’m thinking is scale? Can anyone confirm?

 

[RJG2]

After looking Closer at my other plants I noticed this small procumbens that also has what I’m thinking is scale? Can anyone confirm?

A little blurry - but yes, it does look like scale.

 

[Matt3839]

A little blurry - but yes, it does look like scale.

Hmm ok. May try safari or imidacloprid on the smaller procumbens. I’m a little hesitant to use it in the larger one with potentially friendly bugs on there..

 

[Paradox]

After looking Closer at my other plants I noticed this small procumbens that also has what I’m thinking is scale? Can anyone confirm?

I agree these are scale

 

[Matt3839]

Ok thanks everyone- Just wanted to confirm. I’ve been reading up about all the different treatments. I think I’ll try to get the armored ones knocked out and then post winter start doing less agressive preventative sprays regularly to keep it at bay.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

strong alcohol like first aid alcohol on a cotton bud can be used to dab and kill scale without harming your lady bug pest control

 

[leatherback]

You have scale AND you have ladybug larvea.
Wait it out? Let the ladybugs do what they do, clean up pests

 

[Matt3839]

strong alcohol like first aid alcohol on a cotton bud can be used to dab and kill scale without harming your lady bug pest control

Thanks, will do this!

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Ladyburg larvae and ladybugs don't have the physical power to lift scale, nor do they have the hands to do that, like ants and spiders.

When I find scale and it's a problem (a rare combination), I use systemics that have scale listed on their label.

 

[RJG2]

Ladyburg larvae and ladybugs don't have the physical power to lift scale, nor do they have the hands to do that, like ants and spiders.

When I find scale and it's a problem (a rare combination), I use systemics that have scale listed on their label.

Normally I'd agree, but Wikipedia has a cool/interesting description (I especially like the section I bolded):

"Both adults and larvae feed on scale insects, and especially on armoured scales at all periods of their development; they also feed on mealybugs. The younger beetle larvae crawl under the adult scale insect's protective scale, feeding on the scale nymphs before they disperse.[4] These insects are a pest of citrus, sucking the sap from the plants, and the ladybirds have been used in biological pest control, in order to reduce the number of scale insects in the crop.[2]"

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Normally I'd agree, but Wikipedia has a cool/interesting description (I especially like the section I bolded):

"Both adults and larvae feed on scale insects, and especially on armoured scales at all periods of their development; they also feed on mealybugs. The younger beetle larvae crawl under the adult scale insect's protective scale, feeding on the scale nymphs before they disperse.[4] These insects are a pest of citrus, sucking the sap from the plants, and the ladybirds have been used in biological pest control, in order to reduce the number of scale insects in the crop.[2]"

That is the case for exactly one Australian beetle, native to AUS, other ladybugs only take on softer scale aphids that usually don't hurt woody plants.
Over here they leave scale alone and go for thebsoft bodies aphids only.