What kind of spider is this on my eggplant? - Page 2

Fiishergurl · May 20, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stvrob

I doubt the spider was doing the damage. He was probably eating the bugs which were dojng the damage.

Darn it! I think you are probably right.

Will update tomorrow if there are anymore folded, knitted leaf sections.

Ginny

Barb_FL · May 20, 2015

Those chunks of leaves that are gone look like snail damage.

Starlight · May 20, 2015

I agree. I don't think it is the spider that is causing your problem initially. I think you have maybe an infestation of nymphs of maybe a Colorado Potato beetle or something similar as they leave a dark brown to black frass and the spiders are killing them and to save whatever they killed to eat for later they using the leaves to wrap and hold their kill.

Eggplants are notorious for beetle type pests. I didn't even grow any this year as I got tired of two and three times a day having to go out and scrap teeny tiny eggs or kill nymphs on the plants. You could scrape every leaf clean on the bottom and come back out a few hours later and find more eggs.

I would hunt for the insect and get rid of it. Once you do than the spiders will leave your baby alone.

Mojave · May 21, 2015

Not sure but it looks like worm poop, did you check the branches right above this?

I'd take a 2am walk around the garden, I bet you find the culprit.

Fiishergurl · May 21, 2015

Ok I killed that bug yesterday and today for the first time I dont have any new sections of leaf knitted up with webbing. No new damage. Jury is still out. I will keep checking and post an update in a few days.

Ginny

pauldavid · May 22, 2015

I always welcome spiders, praying mantis, ladybugs, frogs, and lizards into my garden. Looks like a zoo sometimes!

You may be surprised what all they eat. My Granny had a "pet" king snake in her garden. Little old thing, about 6 foot long! It always scared the bejesus out of me when I was little. If you got after it, Granny got after you.

. True story!

Fiishergurl · May 22, 2015

New update - 48 hours now with no new leaf damage. I have to say I think that bug (whatever it was) was definitely the culprit. There are no spider mites or beetles or worms or anything else on the plant. Since I squished that guy I have been checking regularly. Before I squished him, I was just spraying off where he had been, but there was always a new webbed area with the juices sucked out of it each next morning. There are less than 10 leaves on the plant so it's not hard to check them all closely and now the damage has ceased.

Ginny

Fiishergurl · May 23, 2015

72 hours and no new damage. Whatever that bug was, I am convinced it was the culprit. Too bad I didn't get a better picture of it.

Ginny

Fiishergurl · May 28, 2015

Updated pictures of my little eggplant that was being ravaged by that bug...

New growth - no new damage... :-)

3 buds on the left, one on the right.

Below is a picture thats not as much of a closeup so you can see one of the older leaves with the old damage. It has made a remarkable recovery!

I did notice one new snail hole on one of the newer leaves. What do I do for snails?

Mike723 · June 10, 2015

Yes I too doubt it was the spider causing that.. I'd also say no to the spider mites, as they don't create any visible holes. With spider mites you will see a lot of gold(ish) speckling due to them sucking the juices from the underside of the leaf.. As the damage progresses the entire leaf will eventually bronze.. In the later stages it almost looks like a nitrogen deficiency to the untrained eye.. If you flip the leaf over you will also see tiny webbing and very small red/orange/beige specks moving VERRRRY slowly lol .. You have to look closely..

In the future, you can try something like "Surround WP" if the issue persists.. http://www.groworganic.com/surround-25-lb.html

Try to get out very early in the morning, as that's when you'll have the best chance of spotting the little bugger lol . .

Worth1 · June 10, 2015

Looks like a bigger container is in order.

Worth

loudog · June 10, 2015

I don't think it was the spider either, I had a spider curl up a leaf on a pepper plant the other day and I slowly looked inside the leaf and the spider was there and had encased a small green worm inside the leaf and some of the other pepper leafs on the plant were partly eaten, most probably by the worm.

peebee · June 11, 2015

I get the curled leaves on my eggplants fairly often, with the webbing as you described and its always some sort of pupa (sp?)looking thing inside. If you inspect your leaves daily you can usually prevent this by removing the culprit early, just with your hands. This year so far I haven't seen any but they might come later on.
Poor Spidey, he was innocent!

May 21, 2015	#19
Mojave Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: SF Bay area Z9a Posts: 821	Not sure but it looks like worm poop, did you check the branches right above this? I'd take a 2am walk around the garden, I bet you find the culprit. __________________ Bill _______________________________________________ When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -John Muir Believe those who seek the Truth: Doubt those who find it. -André Gide

May 22, 2015	#21
pauldavid Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NE Louisiana, Zone 8A Posts: 1,179	I always welcome spiders, praying mantis, ladybugs, frogs, and lizards into my garden. Looks like a zoo sometimes! You may be surprised what all they eat. My Granny had a "pet" king snake in her garden. Little old thing, about 6 foot long! It always scared the bejesus out of me when I was little. If you got after it, Granny got after you.. True story!

June 10, 2015	#25
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	Yes I too doubt it was the spider causing that.. I'd also say no to the spider mites, as they don't create any visible holes. With spider mites you will see a lot of gold(ish) speckling due to them sucking the juices from the underside of the leaf.. As the damage progresses the entire leaf will eventually bronze.. In the later stages it almost looks like a nitrogen deficiency to the untrained eye.. If you flip the leaf over you will also see tiny webbing and very small red/orange/beige specks moving VERRRRY slowly lol .. You have to look closely.. In the future, you can try something like "Surround WP" if the issue persists.. http://www.groworganic.com/surround-25-lb.html Try to get out very early in the morning, as that's when you'll have the best chance of spotting the little bugger lol . . Last edited by Mike723; June 10, 2015 at 01:08 PM. Reason: sorry, some of my response was repetitive, didn't see there was a second page lol

May 20, 2015	#17
Barb_FL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Indialantic, Florida Posts: 2,000	Those chunks of leaves that are gone look like snail damage.

May 20, 2015	#18
Starlight Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: AL Posts: 1,993	I agree. I don't think it is the spider that is causing your problem initially. I think you have maybe an infestation of nymphs of maybe a Colorado Potato beetle or something similar as they leave a dark brown to black frass and the spiders are killing them and to save whatever they killed to eat for later they using the leaves to wrap and hold their kill. Eggplants are notorious for beetle type pests. I didn't even grow any this year as I got tired of two and three times a day having to go out and scrap teeny tiny eggs or kill nymphs on the plants. You could scrape every leaf clean on the bottom and come back out a few hours later and find more eggs. I would hunt for the insect and get rid of it. Once you do than the spiders will leave your baby alone.

May 21, 2015	#20
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Ok I killed that bug yesterday and today for the first time I dont have any new sections of leaf knitted up with webbing. No new damage. Jury is still out. I will keep checking and post an update in a few days. Ginny

May 23, 2015	#23
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	72 hours and no new damage. Whatever that bug was, I am convinced it was the culprit. Too bad I didn't get a better picture of it. Ginny

May 28, 2015	#24
Fiishergurl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Oak Hill, Florida Posts: 1,781	Updated pictures of my little eggplant that was being ravaged by that bug... New growth - no new damage... :-) 3 buds on the left, one on the right. Below is a picture thats not as much of a closeup so you can see one of the older leaves with the old damage. It has made a remarkable recovery! I did notice one new snail hole on one of the newer leaves. What do I do for snails?

June 10, 2015	#26
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Looks like a bigger container is in order. Worth

June 10, 2015	#27
loudog Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: west central ohio Posts: 172	I don't think it was the spider either, I had a spider curl up a leaf on a pepper plant the other day and I slowly looked inside the leaf and the spider was there and had encased a small green worm inside the leaf and some of the other pepper leafs on the plant were partly eaten, most probably by the worm.

June 11, 2015	#28
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	I get the curled leaves on my eggplants fairly often, with the webbing as you described and its always some sort of pupa (sp?)looking thing inside. If you inspect your leaves daily you can usually prevent this by removing the culprit early, just with your hands. This year so far I haven't seen any but they might come later on. Poor Spidey, he was innocent!