Eggs on a Leaf - Ask Extension
Any ideas what these eggs (I assume they are eggs anyway) are from or how to get rid of the pest from the plant if they are bad for it?
They were on ...
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Eggs on a Leaf #801138
Asked July 14, 2022, 1:54 PM EDT
Any ideas what these eggs (I assume they are eggs anyway) are from or how to get rid of the pest from the plant if they are bad for it?
They were on the underside of a spider milkweed plant. I put the leaf in a jar.
They do not appear to me to be like the eggs laid from Monarch butterflies from pictures on the internet.
The plant was planted a few weeks ago and has some brown areas on leaves and does not look like it is doing very well.
Thanks,
Jim Smith
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
There are now bugs flying around in the jar. Maybe gnat size or a little bigger.
Thanks,
Jim Smith
Hi Jim,
Braconid parasitic wasp cocoons look like this. they are normally laid on a caterpillar or other larva and completely encapsulate it. When they hatch, they feed on that host. Hatchlings are very small and are not harmful to people. The best way to get rid of them is to pull them off and discard them. They are parasitic to specific insect pests. These pests include tomato hornworms, caterpillars, aphids, and beetle larvae. They don't typically go after monarchs, so unless they really bother you or the plant, I would leave them alone.
Braconid parasitic wasp cocoons look like this. they are normally laid on a caterpillar or other larva and completely encapsulate it. When they hatch, they feed on that host. Hatchlings are very small and are not harmful to people. The best way to get rid of them is to pull them off and discard them. They are parasitic to specific insect pests. These pests include tomato hornworms, caterpillars, aphids, and beetle larvae. They don't typically go after monarchs, so unless they really bother you or the plant, I would leave them alone.
