Do anyone know the name of those little white cotton like flying bug found near hackberry trees?

Question

Do anyone know the name of those little white cotton like flying bug found near hackberry trees?

Answer 1

Woolly Aphid

Answer 2

The Asian wooly hackberry aphid is one of the many ‘new’ pests that have been accidentally introduced

in recent years. During the last couple of weeks we have seen large numbers of these in several areas of

the state. This insect was first reported in Florida in 1997, and has since spread to many other southern

states. Adults are about 1/16 inch long and are covered with a white, cotton-like waxy material that

makes them conspicuous and relatively easy to identify. It is often difficult to see that there really is an

insect under that pile of fluffy white stuff on the leaf. Adults may be winged or wingless. During the

past few weeks large numbers of winged adults are being seen in areas where there are a lot of sugarberry

trees (according to foresters, what we call hackberry is really sugarberry). These may be observed flying

about or resting on non-host plants and structures.

Both adults and nymphs produce large amounts of honeydew, which accounts for the sticky

accumulations on vehicles parked beneath sugarberry trees. This also accounts for the heavy

accumulations of sooty mold seen on sugarberries in recent years. Heavy infestations of this pest can

cause affected trees to defoliate prematurely. There is little risk of this pest attacking other plants. Asian

wooly hackberry aphid is host specific and only occurs on sugarberries and other members of the genus

Celtis. However, the presence of large numbers of these aphids resting on other non-host plants can

create concern, and can potentially trigger unnecessary insecticide treatments.

What about control? While this insect can be controlled with foliar sprays, few homeowners have the

equipment needed to apply foliar treatments to mature sugarberry trees. Even when equipment is

available, foliar sprays are often not an option in urban situations because of concerns about drift onto

adjacent property and other non-target areas. For now, the best approach seems to be to live with the

situation.

In particularly sensitive situations, such as a tree that shades a patio or parking site, it may be worth trying

a systemic soil treatment next year in an effort to prevent, or reduce the amount of honeydew

accumulation. Currently the only treatment of this type available to homeowners is the Bayer Advanced

Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control, which contains the active ingredient imidacloprid. This product is

applied as a drench to the soil around the plant being treated. However, it can take several weeks for this

systemic to be taken up by the roots and translocated to the leaves, where it can provide control. So,

treatments should be applied in the spring. Also, homeowners should be aware that treating large trees

with proper rates of this product can be rather costly. The rate is based on the number of inches of

circumference at breast height, and it can cost $20 to $40 per tree to treat medium sized trees.

When exotic pests like these first arrive in the country it is not uncommon to see them develop unusually

high populations, because they have escaped the key beneficial insects, and/or diseases, that keep them in

check in their native lands. However, after such exotic pests have been established for a while, it is not

uncommon to see their numbers subside in response to the arrival, or adaptation, of biological control

agents. Hopefully, this will happen relatively soon with the Asian wooly hackberry aphid.