The Tropical Fruit Forum

Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: joyrit on April 13, 2018, 02:08:39 PM

Title: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: joyrit on April 13, 2018, 02:08:39 PM

Hello all,
I've lived in a house for eight years now with six different citrus trees. Last year we trimmed them back drastically, while very shady and beautiful, it was obvious that they were having trouble producing fruit. The trees are looking beautiful again but at the moment I'm trying to find out what these spore like hair things are on my grapefruit (at the top of the picture, has the white dot attached to the top of the hair). Most of the fruit on this tree have them.

Any help would be appreciated!

Joy
(https://s31.postimg.cc/p3vymsgfr/Grapefruit.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/p3vymsgfr/)

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: scottsurf on April 13, 2018, 03:40:51 PM

Green Lacewing eggs ? they eat aphids  nice thing to have on your citrus

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: Yorgos on April 16, 2018, 01:25:18 PM

exactly.  Green lacewing egg. Its surprising there is only 1. Typically there are several of these in row.  The larvae are so voracious the first one to hatch will eat the other eggs.  Hence they are elevated to avoid self-predation.

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: joyrit on April 18, 2018, 10:47:05 PM

Thank you so much! I have a vegetable garden so the green lacewings will be very welcome visitors!

Joy

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: FamilyJ on July 02, 2018, 08:16:51 AM

they are lacewings do great job but will attack you like mosquito in night

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: Yorgos on July 02, 2018, 12:53:29 PM

Never heard of lacewings doing that.

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: FamilyJ on July 02, 2018, 10:55:06 PM

Quote from: Yorgos on July 02, 2018, 12:53:29 PM

Never heard of lacewings doing that.

Here is a little article
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/lacewings-harmful-humans-100814.html (http://homeguides.sfgate.com/lacewings-harmful-humans-100814.html)

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: Yorgos on July 03, 2018, 12:57:10 PM

That's a bunch of hype.  Someone looking for a problem that really doesn't exist in the real world, from my experience.

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: LaCasaVerde on July 24, 2018, 09:46:53 PM

Interesting.  These things have been protruding from the Navel of my Navel oranges. I thought it was some sort of fungus...

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: Coach62 on July 24, 2018, 11:46:03 PM

Man your lucky!  I've spent a few hundred dollars buying lacewings trying to get them established with very limited luck, if any.

Title: Re: What is this on my grapefruit?
Post by: Yorgos on July 25, 2018, 09:18:50 AM

Quote from: Coach62 on July 24, 2018, 11:46:03 PM

Man your lucky!  I've spent a few hundred dollars buying lacewings trying to get them established with very limited luck, if any.

I'm sure they are endemic to your area.  Its just everyone is so quick to spray insecticides they may be at a low population level.  I've heard that regular spraying causes more damage to the population of beneficials (like lacewing, ladybug, wasps, bees, assassin beetles, pirate bugs, ground beetles, etc.) than to the problematic species ostensibly targeted.