Bug
Photos by Jason Mink.
Puccinia rust on Vinca
Puccinia rust on Vinca. aka: Periwinkle Rust Sunshine Hill area, Tuolumne County, California.
For information on Puccinia rust, see: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/vinca-spp-periwinkle-rust
from that website:
Cause The fungus Puccinia vincae has been found in all PNW states. An alternate host is not needed for this autoecious rust. The frequent occurrence of the rust on new leaves and other factors suggest that the rust may be systemic in the plant.
Symptoms Leaves turn chlorotic with inconspicuous leaf spots on the upper surface of the leaf. Lower leaf surfaces have dark uredinina where telia are also produced. Heavily infected leaves may curl upward and shoots typically do not flower. Poor winter survival once a bed of plants is infected in western Oregon.
Cultural control
- Remove and destroy infected plants or plant parts.
- Avoid overhead irrigation or apply such that plants are not wet for extended periods of time.
Chemical control
- Pageant at 12 to 18 oz/100 gal water. Group 7 + 11 fungicide. 12-hr reentry.
- Phyton 27 at 1.3 to 2 oz/10 gal water. Group M1 fungicide. 48-hr reentry.
- Terraguard SC at 4 to 8 fl oz/100 gal water. Group 3 fungicide. 12-hr reentry.
- Zyban WSB at 24 oz/100 gal water. Not to be confused with the smoking cessation drug. Group 1 + M3 fungicide. 24-hr reentry.
Reference Hernández, J.R., Palm-Hernández, M.E. and Tidwell, T. 2002. First report of Puccinia vincae on Vinca spp. in California. Plant Disease 86:75-75.
Thanks to Farm Advisor Scott Oneto for the ID!
sample review for AZ
Cuckoo wasp
Andrew Springer brought in this cuckoo wasp from Valley Springs, Calaveras County, California.
22 April 2021.
This house is like a black hole to weed bugs and house flies
This beautiful country home, located in the lower foothills, stands almost alone on an oak woodland, cattle country mega-ranchland estate.
Weed bugs (Arhyssus crassus) and house flies have been drawn to the attic of this house, apparently since it was built. The bugs would fly up into upper areas of the house, and enter the attic, in autumn, in order to over-winter. And it worked well, as attics are warm, and the house had good sun exposure, even in winter.
Come spring, the previously dormant insects would become active and attempt to leave. I am sure many managed it, but not all, as you can see. The large windows in the attic appear to have caused confusion for the weed bugs and house flies when it became time to leave. The windows allowed a lot of light into the attic, and the bugs, would fly and crawl to the predominate light sources. only to find glass there. Like bugs at a window, wanting to fly out, they could not, and they perished there, year after year.
Thousands of their dead and dried up bodies accumulated in piles at the base of the windows. Others simply perished and fell to the attic floor boards, scattered about. The piles were the largest, by far, at the bases of the windows.
Below are photos showing the attic windows, microscopic images of the weed bugs and house flies, and photos from within the attic.
Heavy aphid infestation on rose bush
Photo by Ryder Richards, 12 April 2021, shows a rose bush that is heavily infested with aphids.
ant
Photinia fungus
Photinia. Valley Springs, Ca.
Is it leaf spot?
unk wasp
Valley Springs, by Andrew. Tiny, like a cm long or so.
What is it?
tree problems
An account in Copperopolis has some smallish trees in the back yard.
Fuji Apple
Maple (that appears to be dead)
Pear
The Fuji apple has sapsucker damage. But what might be causing the gaps at the branching off points?
The maple appears to have started to bud, and then died.
The black on the trunk is the result of excessive spraying she did to control borers, which is what she thought was the issue.
