Another pest has reared its ugly face in my yard! Or rather, it’s cute face. That’s right, I find these buggers pretty cute. Your opinion may vary, but I think we can all agree that their name is super cute. The “Little Leaf Notcher”… what a name!
The little leaf notcher, scientific name Artipus floridanus, is a type of weevil. This bug is native to Florida. In fact, it’s the only member of its genus that is native to the continental United States… or even found in it at all. It’s classified as a pest, and one look at this picture of my Barbados Cherry (Malpighia emarginata) and it’s easy to see why.
These little leaf notchers seem to have a pretty voracious appetite for leaves. What’s worse: their larvae fall to the ground and eat the roots of the same tree. So it’s a two-pronged attack on the tree. While not the most concerning of all pests you might find, they are economically significant because they do like to munch on a lot of Florida’s favorite tree crops: citrus, avocado, and mango. In fact, I have all three of those in my yard!
To treat or not to treat?
Despite the fact that I have all three of those trees (as well as the Barbados Cherry, which Artipus floridanus clearly also eats), I’m going to leave these guys be for the time being. After all, these bugs are native, and I’m not running an orchard or anything. Now, I’m not above treating a pest if needs warrant it, for example a really young tree overrun by aphids or scales. But, while the Barbados Cherry is clearly under attack, it does not seem to be too unhappy overall (shown below).
Also, when reading up on the Artipus floridanus on the UF IFAS website, it does not list them as a primary threat to crop production, but rather a secondary threat. What this means is that they only get to the point where they are worrisome if their predators have been removed from the ecosystem. This drove the point home for me. My whole goal for my yard is to keep it a healthy, happy, complete ecosystem. Once you start removing pieces of that ecosystem, you never know how the dominoes will fall. Especially small bugs at the “base of the pyramid.” Yes, they may seem abundant, but the whole health of the ecosystem indeed precariously relies on their abundance.
The Windshield Phenomenon
You may have heard about the “windshield” phenomenon, which basically is a thought experiment to wonder where all the insects have gone. It essentially asks: do you remember how many insects you used to hit with your car’s windshield 20 years ago? The amount today seems virtually non-existent by comparison. I’ve read articles that talk about this disappearance in near-doomsday fashion. But I’ve also read articles which say that those studies were isolated, that it’s not as bad as it appears, and that there’s plenty of reason for hope, so I’m tempering my terror for the moment.
But if the disappearance is indeed as bad as it sometimes appears, I think the reason is clear. We tend to not care about the base of the pyramid. Everyone cares about bees and butterflies, but what about weevils and ants? What about scales and aphids? Now, I’m not advocating for everyone to leave aphids on their plants. I treat them too! But still, any sacrifices we can make to keep that base in tact are probably good. Especially if they are native and were here before us. So… for now… the Little Leaf Notchers get to stay!