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vtown05
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bug identification on peppers

I have these bugs on my pepper plants and I have no idea what they are. They seem to only hang out on the stems, usually with their head pointed downward. The are thin and kind of flat from side to side with sort of a brown camouflage color and I swear I saw one trying to spray some clear liquid from it's butt. I tried to get some pictures but every time I try the little buggers jump to the other side of the plan stemt, usually faster than I can blink. Any idea what these are? Are they aphids? Should I be concerned?
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vtown05
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I think they are leafhoppers.
tedln
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Good description, but I have no idea what they may be. Give your question a couple of days and I'm sure someone will have an answer. We have some pretty good bug people on this forum.

Ted
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Kisal
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Could you post a pic of them for us? :)

[url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3724]How to Post Pictures & Photos on Forums[/url]
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applestar
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Actually, this sounds like the same one I have. I think they're leaf hoppers too, though I can't remember if I ever actually ID'd them. Mine have a sort of a double hump profile, brown and tan/white mottled, and usually chew on the main rib of a leaf from below until it is severed and the broken leaf hangs down.

They are attacking my potatoes right now, and I know when they are there because the ants are swarming all over. They like tomatoes too so perhaps all the plants in the Solanacea family are on their menu, including peppers. I believe you did see honeydew being exuded by this buggers since ants tend to them like they do with aphids. Because of their ridged (I think of them as rhinocerous-like) structure, they are easily squished between fingers with a satisfying crunch :twisted: (unlike slimy slugs :x )
DoubleDogFarm
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Take a look at this link. Thin, flat and secretes honeydew sounds like aphids

https://www.critterzone.com/magazineresource/aphids-plant-lice-aphididae-honeydew-pest-insect.htm
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vtown05
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They were leafhoppers for sure. I think the lizards and geckos took care of most of them because I haven't seen many of them lately... or they moved north to get out of the heat.
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applestar
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Mine turned out to be treehoppers.
garden5
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What exactly is it that ants do with aphids? I've heard reference to this before. :?.
tedln
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garden5 wrote:What exactly is it that ants do with aphids? I've heard reference to this before. :?.
They tend, protect, and collect a liquid from them. Kinda like we do cows.

Ted


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