As a general rule of thumb insects lay their eggs on, or very near, their babies' food. Predatory insects usually lay their eggs such that when the eggs hatch the babies will have live insects to eat as soon as they hatch from the eggs.

Likewise insects whose babies eat plants lay them on the plant.

My advice is that you either crush the eggs, or remove those two leaves and either compost them or put them in the garbage.

Contact Baldo Villegas.His website is below. He's an entomologist for the state of California and volunteers as the bug man for the ARS. He willingly answers question regarding insects. His e-mail address is on the website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Baldo's buggy website

If you do contact Baldo and he can identify them, please let us all know so we'll know what we have if we get them.

Many thanks for the info and helpful advice York, Karl and Phil. I'll contact Mr. Villegas and post his reply here later.

Sean

I think those are caterpillar eggs- something like armyworms, maybe. It's possible they are green stinkbug eggs too, but I would bet on caterpillars of some sort.
Renee

Or, just put the leaf and some others of the same variety in a jar with an escape-proof lid on it (but which allows some air in) and see what hatches.

My guess is saltmarsh caterpillars. I put a leaf in a jar and let them hatch; yours look very much like mine did. On the other hand many insect eggs look like all the rest. :o)

Here are pics of mine:

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Wow, one individual bug can lay so much. There must be 500 eggs. I know the lady bug eggs. So, by just reading your title, I thought I could be proud of answering to this question, emphasizing not to destroy them. But, I give up.

There are but seeing that not even half will live to make it to adult hood and have their own babies. Thats why they have a lot. Look forward to hearing the verdict.

Can you imagine the energy it must have taken that one little bug to lay all those eggs? It's really astounding, if you think about it.

Greenhaven, all that energy came from eating an awful lot! lol
I'm in Lake County, IL, BTW.

caroline, oh yeah, lol! I am in Ogle County...out in the sticks!

Did anyone find out what insect could have laid these eggs by any chance?

I just discovered this on the top of a hosta leaf. Not sure whether a beneficial bug/insect or not. Would anyone know please? I googled but could not find identical eggs except for this thread.

Thank you.
Jo.

found this bug coming out of the eggs the were on my hot pepper plants