rhizo_1, Japanese Beetles in California? "The very first Japanese beetle recorded in California was caught in a trap near Los Angeles International Airport in June of 1951. Two more specimens were trapped near civilian or military airfields in 1954 and 1956. In 1960, nearly 350 living and dead beetles were found in the passenger and cargo compartments of flights originating in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Pittsburgh. On June 7, 1961 a state entomologist collected a Japanese beetle feeding on flowers on the grounds of the State Capitol. As it turned out, this beetle was just the tip of the iceberg, representing CaliforniaâÂÂs first Japanese beetle infestation. Intensive inspections and trapping soon produced hundreds of live beetles from the downtown Sacramento area. Using extensive applications of foliage sprays and ground treatments, the Japanese beetle was declared eradicated in 1965, three years after the last live beetle was found. Two subsequent infestations were detected and eradicated in Balboa Park, San Diego and Orangevale, near Sacramento. If Japanese beetles became established in California it would effect 50% or more of the grapes, roses, peaches, prunes, plums, asparagus, and apricots grown in the United States each year. The potential losses of just 5% in these seven crops alone could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Garden plantings and some street trees would also be affected. Nearly all commercially grown flowers would be susceptible to damage as well. Uninfested regions would quarantine the stateâÂÂs agricultural and horticultural exports, making it difficult, costly, or impossible for California growers to sell their produce. With all this at stake, state agricultural authorities regularly launched annual Japanese beetle detection programs as a precautionary measure. Every year, between May 1 and August 31, thousands of winged funnel traps resembling green or yellow lanterns are deployed throughout the state on a grid-based arrangement. The traps are fitted with chemical lures promising the beetles both food and sex. The duped insects fall down a funnel and into a container where they wait for the state or county inspector who checks the traps weekly. The traps are concentrated in heavily populated urban areas, especially near airports where hitchhiking beetles are likely to disembark. Both commercial and cargo planes coming from Japanese beetle infested states are regularly inspected during the summer. Here is a link that might be useful: The Japanese Beetle: CA Dept of Food and Agriculture

I have found beetles munching away at the leaves of my trees. They tend to eat at the perimeter of the leaves. We have leaf-footed bugs that suck the sap out of the leaves. They tend to work in the middle of the leaf. The leaf doesn't really curl or show a puncture wound, but it does wrinkle around the bug's incision. Both the leaf-footed bug and the beetles are usually out munching at night. I have also dealt with leaf curlers and spider mites. Both spin a web on the underside of the leaf that either causes curling at the edge or wrinkling in the interior. If you take a magnifier to the underside of the leaf, you might see the bugs that are responsible. Last year I took a two part approach to getting rid of the bugs. One I sprayed with neem oil weekly for four weeks. Secondly, while it rained, I would use the hose with a sharp spray on the underside of the leaves. The buggies don't like being wet, which is why they hide on the underside. I think this was more effective than the neem oil. Neither method was effective on the Beetles or Leaf-footed bugs. I'm not sure if a poison would be more effective, I hunt them at night with a flash light. If you flick them, they hit the ground stunned and then a quick stomp does them in. Its actually kind of good for relieving stress. Your bugs may be different, but you should be able to see them hiding on the underside of the leaf or at night. If you decide to use the neem oil (or any other spray, spray either in the morning or at dusk when it is cooler. ~james.

I found this link that might help: Posted by gardenguru1950 SunsetZ16 (My Page) on Sat, Aug 8, 09 at 13:06 The most common "eater" of rose leaves in California is the Bristly Rose Slug, the larvae of the Rose Sawfly. The sawfly is a pudgy little wasp. It lays its eggs on the UNDERSIDES of the leaves and the caterpillars feed on the UNDERSIDES of the leaves. The rose slug is tiny, no more than 1/4-inch long and very slender, and it's the exact same pale green as the undersides of the leaves. Talk about hard to see and find! It's the critter that "skelotinizes" rose leaves. It's pretty easy to get rid of, actually. Almost any good spray will do the job: insecticidal soap, Neem, pyrethrum. The trick is to spray thoroughly UNDER the leaves. Not stand back and spray all over. You have to get UNDER the leaves. By the way, a commonly suggested spray for rose sawfly is BT. It doesn't work. It doesn't work because it's meant for the caterpillars of moths and butterflies. The rose slug is the larvae of a wasp. And I'm not sure of any beneficial insect that preys upon it. As for your rose buds, Applenut has a good idea. Go outside late at night with a flashlight. The critter most likely is an earwig, sowbug or pillbug. It also might be a slug or snail. Joe Here is a link that might be useful: Bugs that eat roses' leaves

I found some light green worms on my new pecan tree. They were tiny and exactly the same color as the leaf. I had to look several times to find them. They had stripped several leaves down to the spine. The nursery said to use BT Worm killer. I've sprayed it on and I think it killed them. I have to get out there again and check.