Palm dart grub

[happypalms]

This little caterpillar if left unchecked will destroy a palm real quick hiding between leaves rolled together or two leaves pinned together by whatever means the caterpillar has it is a real pest especially on potted palms known as the palm dart grub turning into some sort of moth or butterfly a real nuisance 

[Tyrone]

Yes I get them here. I go around looking for where they’ve joined leaves together and feed them to the chickens. Rotten things. 

[awkonradi]

Interesting.  Which palm species do they feed on most?

[Looking Glass]

We have a slightly different version of the same thing here.  Annoying as hell sometimes.   Monk Skipper Caterpillars here.  They eat most palms in the yard, but thinner, whispier leaflets take the most damage and are favored.   Thick leathery stuff slows them down.   Satakentia can get hammered by these.  
 

 

https://bugguide.net/node/view/5967

[happypalms]

12 hours ago, awkonradi said:

Interesting.  Which palm species do they feed on most?

They love kentia Alexander bangalow golden cane the most they devastate container grown plants 

[happypalms]

14 hours ago, Tyrone said:

Yes I get them here. I go around looking for where they’ve joined leaves together and feed them to the chickens. Rotten things. 

 

2 minutes ago, happypalms said:

They love kentia Alexander bangalow golden cane the most they devastate container grown plants 

Yep a rare palm growers nightmare 

[happypalms]

2 hours ago, Looking Glass said:

We have a slightly different version of the same thing here.  Annoying as hell sometimes.   Monk Skipper Caterpillars here.  They eat most palms in the yard, but thinner, whispier leaflets take the most damage and are favored.   Thick leathery stuff slows them down.   Satakentia can get hammered by these.  
 

 

https://bugguide.net/node/view/5967

That’s the ones that make you want to get the drum of chemicals out of the shed real fast 

[peachy]

3 hours ago, happypalms said:

 

Yep a rare palm growers nightmare 

I get those things too. They can also destroy alocasias in no time flat. Grasshoppers are my main problem here though.

Peachy

[happypalms]

16 hours ago, peachy said:

I get those things too. They can also destroy alocasias in no time flat. Grasshoppers are my main problem here though.

Peachy

Scale are another problem along with mealy bugs but a big grasshopper can destroy a palm if left unchecked 

[Tyrone]

2 hours ago, happypalms said:

Scale are another problem along with mealy bugs but a big grasshopper can destroy a palm if left unchecked 

Scale and mealy bug are an ongoing problem here. However grasshoppers are rare here. Too many birds out to get ‘em.