things stuck on my azalea

[nli9u]

Hi,

I just found these things glued to the bark of a small twig on one of my large azaleas. There were about 8-10 of them, in two columns, applied almost like shingles. They were so well glued on that I couldn't remove them without removing the bark. The photo shows the top view of one clump, and a side view of another clump; you can see that they are dorso-ventrally flattened, not cylindrical. Didn't find them on any of my other azaleas. Checked my copy of "Insects that Feed on Trees and Shrubs" by Johnson and Lyon and didn't find anything like it. The dimensions : length 5mm, width 2mm. They are smooth & shiny, with a thin, brittle shell, and are squishy on the inside. Can't tell if they are eggs or pupae.
Does anyone have any idea what they could be?

Naomi
Leesburg, VA
Zone 7

[BillsBayou]

Excellent close-up photography for the task at hand.

Those are definitely eggs of something. I don't know what.

I once watched a shield bug lay a train of eggs very similar to this. I was fascinated enough to watch, then grossed out enough at the end to destroy the eggs when the mom left. Shield bugs are also known as stink bugs. That's why I didn't want to interrupt Momma until she was done.

You never know when a bug is laying eggs because your tree is a source of food and/or shelter. Either way, I'd get rid of it. If those things are really 5-to-the-inch in length, I don't want bugs that size in my garden unless I know for a fact that they're eating other bugs.

Look for damage on nearby plants to see if something is afoot. Then treat accordingly.

[nli9u]

Thanks, Bill. I think you're right. The eggs are the same color as a stink bug, and I have been finding a lot of stink bugs around lately, particularly on the azaleas. I thought they were just using the azaleas as a staging area preparatory to invading the house, but apparently they're doing more than aggregating.

Naomi

[plantmanky]

I posed your question to the Kentucky University Entomology department and they responded that they looked like Katydid Eggs. If you do a google of "katydid eggs" you'll get some pictorial results that look remarkably close to your picture. I have them on many of my trees and will be anxious to see them hatch next spring. It's nice to know that nature is taking care of my bonsai! lol

ta ta for now,
R

[BillsBayou]

I posed your question to the Kentucky University Entomology department and they responded that they looked like Katydid Eggs. If you do a google of "katydid eggs" you'll get some pictorial results that look remarkably close to your picture. I have them on many of my trees and will be anxious to see them hatch next spring. It's nice to know that nature is taking care of my bonsai! lol

ta ta for now,
R

Good work on the diagnosis!

Here's a link: Katydids

From that link:

Katydid Diet

In the wild: Angular-winged katydids typically eat the leaves of willow, rosewood and citrus trees. Most katydids are herbivorous, consuming foliage, stems, flower petals, fruit of trees, weeds, and crops; some also eat nectar and pollen, while a few are known carnivores that prey on other insects. All katydids are capable of biting and may do so if handled roughly.

Given the herbivorous diet of some of these species, and unless I knew I were dealing with the carnivorous variety, I vote "Squish".

[nli9u]

I posed your question to the Kentucky University Entomology department and they responded that they looked like Katydid Eggs. If you do a google of "katydid eggs" you'll get some pictorial results that look remarkably close to your picture. I have them on many of my trees and will be anxious to see them hatch next spring. It's nice to know that nature is taking care of my bonsai! lol

ta ta for now,
R

Thanks for the diagnosis, Randy! I've since found the eggs on a crape myrtle bonsai, too. I'm keeping them in a jar to watch them hatch and to see whether they eat each other before I decide whether to release or squish.

Best,
Naomi

[BillsBayou]

I found something which indicates the gestation period for the eggs is 240 days. Other sources indicate you'll have a hatch in April or May. So don't give up on your jar.