I know of a powdery mildew-eating ladybug. but not one that dines on sooty mold.

Any chance of image of the "trails?"

ThereâÂÂs one kind of lady beetle (Psyllobora spp) that actually eats powdery mildew. Unfortunately, this isnâÂÂt the variety you can purchase for use in the garden, but it does live in California.

Is that where you live? If so good for you.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/14200

Mike

Here's a picture of the trails in the mold. Mike, I'm actually in the midlands area of South Carolina. I imagine gardening in California is a lot more fun than it is here.

That's super cool! I don't think I've ever noticed such a thing before. It could be something as ordinary as a fly taking up the sooty mold along with the honeydew underneath. That reminds me of the meandering feeding I've seen flies do on hollies, camellias, gardenias and other plants with a thin coating of honeydew.

They're funny, they work their way all around the surface of the leaf tirelessly, dabbing all the while with their sponge-like mouth parts.