The damage on the first leaf and the smaller brown spot under the second leaf is damage caused by the avocado lace bug, but none are present in the photos. The white “bugs” aren’t actually bugs at all but the shed skins of a small yellowish-green leafhopper; one is visible on the center of the leaf directly right of the midrib. You can see the damage caused by those on the surface of the adjacent leaf (the scattered lighter patches) and the brown scarring along the midrib and veins.
The lace bugs are by far the more damaging since their feeding can cause large spots of leaf necrosis and eventual defoliation. I haven’t seen the leafhoppers cause serious extensive damage but when they do show up in larger numbers it’s often alongside the lace bugs. Both insects are much more common in the drier winter months and seem to prefer some cultivars more than others, and larger trees weather the damage much better than smaller trees. I’ve seen both these pests appear every winter to some degree but they’ve been particularly bad this year for me due to an extra dry winter in my area. Right now I’ve had them just about defoliate a young wurtz avocado I didn’t realize was getting hit so hard until it was obvious.
Insecticidal soaps seem to be the go-to for these, and I’ve had good results with them, but extensive control with soap is really only feasible on smaller trees. That said, I’d be wary of using any harsh pesticides because both these insects seem to disappear in the presence of predatory insects, especially with warmer temps and rain. Green lacewings in particular control the lace bugs really well and I had them decimate a growing population of them last winter, but I haven’t seen a single one for months. It seems once spring and more consistent rains roll around they pretty much disappear.
Topic: What bugs are these on my avocado leafs? (Read 456 times)