Unknown Beetle eating my pear tree leaves
|
Author |
Message |
Strangegravy Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 29 Jun 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Limerick
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:27 am Post subject: Unknown Beetle eating my pear tree leaves |
|
|
Hi.
I'm only new to gardening and I'm attempting to espalier pear trees on my back wall, the first leaves are just starting to emerge after the first cut, and I found this little guy nibbling away on my them.
I can't seem to find a proper picture online to match up and get info on him, he's probably very common but as I said I'm new to this game.
Should I be worried more of them attacking the trees? Or what can I do to prevent it?
I've attached a pic of him for identification.
Thanks in advance.
Strangegravy
Description: |
|
Filesize: |
66.8 KB |
Viewed: |
14167 Time(s) |

|
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Margo Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Posts: 1984 Location: Summerhill Mayo Ireland
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
That looks very much to me like a Vine Weevil. They are horrible things and their larva white grubs) eat all roots and shoots especially fuschias etc.
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Strangegravy Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 29 Jun 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Limerick
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 11:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the reply..
I thought it might have been but in all the pictures I've seen of them, it doesn't match up. They seem to be a bit more rougher, tougher and bigger looking than my guy, my beetle was only 6-7mm in size, very smooth and delicate looking.. but it is similar enough in shape alright.
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
James Kilkelly Rank: Site Admin

Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 2173 Location: West of Ireland
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Sorry to be the one to to correct ye but that looks more like a young ground beetle.
Yes I know he was found in a tree, but you can't fault him for having a little ramble.
The vast good this beetle does far out weighs the small touch of nibbling he will do on the tree.......... if that's what he was doing at all.
Ground beetles are predators of many pests, clearing away insect larvae such as caterpillars.
He could have possibly been on the tree in search of insects or larvae to eat and got peckish so decided to have a chomp on a leaf.
I'd relocate him in the garden somewhere if I were you.
_________________ Gardening books.
http://www.allotments.ie/ Ireland's allotments.
On Twitter... http://twitter.com/Allotments
Garden Consultation & Design.
Try my Garden Design home study course!
.
. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Strangegravy Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 29 Jun 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Limerick
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for the help James!
I had thought to myself alright what if he was just eating beasties off the leaves, maybe someone was trying to frame him! That's why I said I'd try get some info on him.
I do have plenty of bigger ground beetles running around. If he's one of the good guys I better free him from his little holiday home I made him, make him earn his keep!
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
walltoall Rank attained: Orchard owner

Joined: 25 Aug 2008 Posts: 706 Location: Thurrock RM15 via Dungarvan and the Banner County
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:29 pm Post subject: Unknown Beetle eating my pear tree leaves |
|
|
Hi Di Hi StrangeGravy,
He's one of the good guys. Keep him and tell him to bring his mates. There are huge variations in ground beetles and this is a "golden ground beetle" Put that string through the google sieve and select "images" and see what they look like. And you havent seen the half of them. Oh! And welcome to IrishGardeners. Stay and bring your mates.
_________________ Retired trouble-maker. twitters @walltoall and dreams of being promoted to Pedunculate Oaker. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Strangegravy Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 29 Jun 2011 Posts: 10 Location: Limerick
|
Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hey walltoall.
Checked him out and he looks like my guys big brother... with orange leggings! He's back out there now anyhoo, fighting the cause.
Thanks for the welcome, I'll deffo be popping in here regularly for advice as my new garden grows!
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
NatureInMyBackyard Rank attained: Hazel Tree

Joined: 20 Mar 2015 Posts: 2 Location: Dublin
|
Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:57 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hi Strangegravy,
This is a very late reply I realise, but I saw your post while I was trying to find information on the wildlife value of pear trees and couldn't resist talking about one of my favourite groups of insects, the ground beetles! That looks to me very much like Agonum muelleri, a ground beetle like walltowall said, but smaller than the golden ground beetle. I've never heard of them climbing pear trees! But I have no doubt he/she was helping out and not damaging your tree - they are known to eat aphids and another paper I just looked at describes them as voracious predators!
If you're still at the same location and can get GPS coordinates for that pear tree, there is an excellent recording scheme for ground beetles, you'll find it if you look up Ground Beetles of Ireland. And there's a page about Agonum muelleri so you can read a bit more about him/her.
Thanks for the chance to go on about ground beetles! Hope your pears are growing nicely!
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Greengage Rank attained: Chlorophyll for blood
Joined: 09 Nov 2011 Posts: 3129 Location: Kildare
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You can attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2006 - present IrishGardeners.com (part of GardenPlansIreland.com)
|