The fig tree beetle is brown with a yellow head, and has a black dot where the wings join at the ‘shoulders’. The larvae are like small caterpillars and feed in clusters. When they first hatch they are yellow but become a dark blue-black with yellow underneath. The eggs are very neatly laid in a cluster and we have seen both yellow and pink.
Adult size: 10mm
Out and about
Spring and summer. These beetles are native to Australia, occurring mainly on the east coast in warmer regions.
Reproduction and Life cycle
Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves, which makes it virtually impossible for birds to find the larvae. The larvae will drop to the ground when they are ready to pupate and will pupate in the soil under the tree. There may be two generations in the season so it would be a good idea to repeat treatments.
To deter
To control
- Improve the health of the tree
- Neem oil spray on the leaves so that the larvae will ingest it and females may be deterred from laying eggs. A drench around the base of the tree so that the neem comes in contact with the pupae and larvae that may be in the soil.
- Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray on the larvae
Plants to repel
Plants to attract
Predators
Why they are a Pest
The larvae feed in groups on the leaves of fig trees and can quickly skeletonise them. Established mature trees and healthy younger trees are able to recover from this damage.
The adults chew the edges of the leaves.
It attacks only fig trees.
