Creature (?) on my Crabapple Tree - Ask Extension
I have had fire blight in the past on my crab apple tree (planted in the road verge) and was checking to see if the tree had survived the winter. It ...
Knowledgebase
Creature (?) on my Crabapple Tree #785902
Asked April 05, 2022, 3:16 PM EDT
I have had fire blight in the past on my crab apple tree (planted in the road verge) and was checking to see if the tree had survived the winter. It does have new growth appearing. While looking at the dead branches this caught strange creature (?) caught my eye and I decided to ask what it is?
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Although I'm not positive on the ID, it resembles an exoskeleton of a critter that has since left the scene. It may be the exoskeleton of a ladybird larvae. You can compare to some of the photos we have on our Ladybird beetle page: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/ladybird-beetles-or-ladybugs
Ladybird beetles are beneficial for pest control and crabapples are considered a keystone species which support many insects in our ecosystem!
https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/Garden-for-Wildlife/Keystone-Plants/NWF-GFW-keystone-plant-list-ecoregion-8-eastern-temperate-forests.ashx?la=en&hash=1E180E2E5F2B06EB9ADF28882353B3BC7B3B247D
Jamie
