Another pest related post

[locko]

Sorry too bother you guys but I have a small problem. I noticed some eaten up developing pitchers on one of my sarras and unusual damage on another. Hoping someone could ID the culprit from the damage because I haven't actually seen the buggers yet. My other outside plants such as VFT's and sundews don't seem to be affected.

I think this is the bug crap.



The damage









I have sprayed all 3 of my sarras with a broad range pest control anyone know if it's any good?





The pitchers on my Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpa have changed dramatically since I bought it from huge and very nice looking to about half as big. Looking like a cross between a pitcher and phyllodia I have read Barry's FAQ and know this plant only produces a few huge pitchers. could someone tell me if it's normal for the middle of summer or pest damage.





Thanks for taking the time for looking at a post you have probably answered somewhere else 100 times before.

[Aidan]

"bug crap" = caterpillar frass.

[Not a Number]

From the droppings and the leaf chewed in half I'd guess some sort of moth larva.

I had some type of larvae that chewed up a few of my S. rubra and devastated a couple pots of seedlings.

This particular pest was difficult to spot as it sometimes hid in the pitchers chewing a hole in the side or hiding in the moss under a silk tent.

I don't think it was the dreaded Exyra moth.

The seedling pots I immersed in water for a couple days. And I sprayed with a combined pyrethroid and systemic (Imidacloprid) pesticide.

Do you know what the active ingredients are in the spray you used?

[locko]

Thanks guys seems you know your pests must be moth/butterfly larvae.
Aidan never knew the word frass lol probably should of said that instead of crap.
@not a Number your experience sounds similar to mine I think the larvae are hiding in the chewed pitchers.
The active ingredients are 0.1grams per litre of Tau-Fluvalinate and 0.05 grams per litre of Myclobutanil. If it's no good I will have to check out the internet because where I bought this there wasn't much heavy duty stuff or a selection.

[Not a Number]

Tau-fluvalinate is a Pyrethroid - basically a "contact" insecticide meaning you have to hit the pest with the spray for maximum effect. Pyrethroids hit hard when they do connect.

The other ingredient is the fungicide.

See if you can find a systemic insecticide with either Acephate or Imidacloprid as the active ingredient. Systemics get absorbed by the plant and remain active for up to 30 days. When the pests chew or suck the plant juices they consume the systemic too.

Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is effective against most moth/butterfly, but only on the larvae. BT has to be consumed by the larvae. The BT then blocks or produces something that blocks the gut lining. The larvae eventually starve to death as a result.

Or you could get a magnifier and some forceps and play mighty caterpillar hunter.

Tau-fluvalinate:

www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC38853

[locko]

Thankyou so much for the info. I looked up the ingredients on wiki it didn't seem to know of Tau-fluvalinate. I am very grateful for the advise now I'm off to search for a systemic.

[Alexis]

The pitchers on my Sarracenia flava var. rubricorpa have changed dramatically since I bought it from huge and very nice looking to about half as big. Looking like a cross between a pitcher and phyllodia I have read Barry's FAQ and know this plant only produces a few huge pitchers. could someone tell me if it's normal for the middle of summer or pest damage.

It's normal for flava to start growing those kinds of pitchers in the second half of summer. It varies from year to year though and a bigger, more established plant will tend to grow more proper pitchers in the first half of the summer, so you don't notice the poorer pitchers so much later on.

[locko]

Thanks for putting my mind to ease Alexis. I thought that was the case but I was unsure with the caterpillar damage . The second crop of pitchers sure look awful compared to the first ones.

[Alexis]

Hybrids between species that grow in the spring and those in the autumn can often create plants that produce good pitchers all growing season.