Meet the Beetles

Common name: air potato leaf beetle (suggested common name)
scientific name: Lilioceris cheni Gressitt and Kimoto (Insecta: Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae)

In the first paragraph you have been formally introduced to the air potato leaf beetles and their proper names. I was privileged enough to personally meet some air potato leaf beetles, whom I shall call John, Paul, George and Ringo. Okay, well, I met more than four of them, but we’ll just repeat those four names for simplification purposes.

John, Paul, George and Ringo and their friends came to me via the County Extension office in a yellow submarine. No wait, it was a plastic container with a nice screen on the top. They had spent a few days in the dark, experiencing the US Postal System. By the time I met them, they were adjusting to the daylight, and busily munching on some air potato leaves in the container."It's been a hard day's night," they told me.

County Extension Horticulture Agent, Bill Lester explained to me that beetles were released in June, in four locations around the Chinsegut Manor House in Lake Lindsey, in northern Hernando County.  In approximately four months, he has gotten reports of air potato leaf damage in all areas of the county. 

My mission was to take the beetles to Masaryktown, at the central, southern edge of the county, to help assure widespread county coverage."Baby, you can drive my car." I suggested, but they wanted me to drive.  Upon release, John, Paul, George and Ringo and their friends were a little slow to come out of their container with its built in salad bar. Eventually, they were all coaxed to explore their new world. I was a bit disappointed as a  transportation facilitator, because there was evidence that other Johns, Pauls, Georges and Ringos had already invaded this territory. No screaming teenage girls met my beetles as they left the container. They were merely supporting acts, not the original stars. Yet there was still plenty of air potato around for them to start their own show. They will get by. (With a little help from their friends.)

I have included photos of the red beetles and the leaf damage they cause. They start with munching little holes all through the leaves. Pick one up and you'll think, "I'm looking through you." Eventually they skeletonize the leaves all together. No leaves equals no photosynthesis and this will really put a hurting on the invasive vine that has taken over many areas of Florida.

Take a walk in your neighborhood. Check out the air potato. See if the beetles have taken up residence yet. If you see air potato beetle activity, you know exactly what to do. That's right. Let it be.

 Not sure what air potato is? Here is a link from the Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants at UF: http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/133.

If you are interested in obtaining some beetles for your area, call Bill Lester at the Extension Office at 352-754-4433.

Florida-Friendly Plant of the Week

 

Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua

Since I seem to be having encounters with Sweetgum trees frequently lately, I felt they were asking me to shine a little light on them. They are almost ubiquitous in our area, and yet so often overlooked.  We have a lot of them on site at The Hernando County Utilities Admin building, and walking through the grass under them, swishing the fallen leaves as I walk, feels a little like Autumn up north. I was also placed under some Sweetgums for an event in which I had a table last weekend, and the falling leaves provided some natural, free decorations for my display. Yes, many of them were colored! Sweetgum trees provide shade for my granddaughter's school playground, and I can report that the back seat of my car contains much leaf litter from her collection.

Deciduous trees in Florida depend on many factors as to whether or not they will give us a beautiful show in any given fall season. The same really could be said for their flashy cousins up north. So, let's just say we have a year in which all conditions fall together, and we get to experience some fall color in our deciduous trees. Sweetgums are changing right now, without the benefit of any cool weather. Why? Cool weather plays a factor is some chemical responses for leaf color change, but the fact remains that the tree knows it's time to go into dormancy, and it's going to stop producing chlorophyll. The shortening of daylight hours plays a big part in this chemical reaction.

Sweetgums are native and usually "left standing" on a property rather than purposefully planted. They tolerate any soil pH. Then will grow from 40-60 feet high and 40-60 feet wide. They like well drained to medium drained soil. They have a medium tolerance for salt spray. They prefer sunny to partly sunny locations. They provide food for wildlife, and have a medium to high wind resistance.

Disadvantages are that they DO loose their leaves. That means you have to rake them, if you are in a community with manicured lawns. They also have seed pods about the size of golf balls, with little spikes all around the ball. My nephew used to call these miniature maces "ouchy balls." They don't hurt to touch, but  they are unpleasant to step on.

I enjoy Sweetgums where I find them, in undeveloped lots, parks, etc. They bring a nice touch of Autumn to Florida.

Florida-Friendly Plant of the Week

Beautyberry  Callicarpa americana

These aptly named native shrubs are in full fruit right now in yards and in undeveloped patches of woods all over Hernando County. They like to creep out at the edge of the woods, as if to say, "Hey, I'm berrying in here!"

They thrive in all parts of Florida, zones 8-10. They grow to be 6-8 ft tall and 6-8 feet wide. They are happy in a range of soil pH's 4.5 - 7.2. Any soil texture is fine with the Beautyberry, but they do like it well drained. They tolerate periods of drought well. They like to be an understory bush, and are happy in partial sunlight or shade. They have little to no salt tolerance.

This is a deciduous plant. Old wood should be pruned in the the landscape, since flowers and fruit are produced on the new growth. They have light purple (very light purple) flowers in spring through fall. Small purplish berries grow in clumps this time of year and are a delight for wildlife and for your viewing pleasure.