MIRLITON.ORG

MIRLITON.ORG

Leaf-Footed Bug on Mirliton Plant (chayote, “Sechium edule”)

Juvenile Leaf-Footed Bug. They can kill immature mirlitons and bruise mature ones (bruising does not appear until after picking the fruit). They inject an enzyme that dissolves plant tissue when they pierce the leaf or fruit with their sucker. They can also spread disease. You can pick these off or use natural pyrethrum. Click on the magnifying glass icon to get a close up. If they attack the fruit, they will get a sucker full of the numbing latex compound that mirlitons have as a natural insecticide. We are experimenting with trap plants this year: various plants that attract leaf-footed bugs away from mirlitons. Watch for a post on this on the garden blog,
Mature Leaf Footed Bug (stink bug). See growers guide and blog for control methods.
Juvenile Leaf-footed bugs forage in groups, mature bugs are solitary feeders.