Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - April 05, 2011
From: Flatonia, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Want to identify caterpillar that is stripping prickly ash in Flatonia, Tx.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills
QUESTION:
What is the 5/16ths long 1/8th inch long pale opaque green caterpillar that strips prickly ash? It has tiny black dots down its spine and along each side. It has stripped two large trees? Will the prickly ash leaf out again?ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants isn't very familiar with caterpillars, but from your measurements I'd say that it is too short to be an inch worm.
But lets get to the plant part of the question and see where that leads. The common name Prickly Ash is applied to at least three plants found in Texas: Aralia spinosa (Devil's walkingstick), Zanthoxylum hirsutum (Texas hercules' club), and Zanthoxylum fagara (Lime prickly ash). I don't know which one you have, but Z. hirsutum is a larval host for the Giant Swallowtail butterfly Papillio cresphontes. Check to see if the images match the caterpillar that is chomping on your tree. (more info and images)
Zanthoxylum fagara is the larval host of Eantis tamenund the Sickle Wing Skipper. The caterpillar is light green, but it lacks the dots that you mentioned.
So we have two possible suspects, but no positive ID. You might want to contact the folks at the Fayette County Office of Texas AgriLife Extension for some help closer to home.
The caterpillars should pupate before too long which will halt the onslaught on the tree. Will the tree leaf out again? This depends on the extent of the damage. One word of caution however; when people see a tree in distress, the tendency is to give it lots of water. Please refrain from doing this. The leaves on a tree help to move water from the roots up to the stems. When the leaves are missing, there is a possibility of the roots becoming waterloged through overwatering.
More Trees Questions
Are American sycamore or hybrid poplar trees toxic to dogs in San Antonio?
August 26, 2009 - We anticipate planting an American Sycamore or a Hybrid Poplar tree in our back yard but we have several small dogs and are concerned that they may eat some of the leaves. Do either of these trees po...
view the full question and answer
Is it wise to cut suckers from live oak branches in April in Austin
April 07, 2010 - My live oak branches are filling with suckers and I would like to cut them now, April. Is that wise?
view the full question and answer
Why is non-native peach tree not going dormant in Owensville IN
December 19, 2011 - I have a peach tree I grew from a peach pit. It is about 2 years old. I planted the tree in my yard this summer. It is now about 3' tall. My problem is it is not going dormant. We have had several fr...
view the full question and answer
Horse ate bark of cedar elm from Liberty Hill, TX
February 20, 2013 - I have three acres with a rental. Planted a Cedar Elm near the porch. My ex-renters allowed their horse to graze around the house. It ate the bark off of the tree. How can I save this tree?
view the full question and answer
Are white pine trees toxic to horses?
May 31, 2009 - Are white pine trees toxic to horses?
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |