It looks like it could be powdery mildew.

Thank you for the reply. The only question is when I do research, it appears this mildew forms on top of the leaves and there are no (see pic) white issues on top. All of the attack is on the underneath leaf portion (on all the leaves that are infected...not one is on the top). Is this still consistent with powdery mildew?

It's not PM ; it looks to be a mealybug or wooly scale of some kind. The image is too distant for me to be able to tell for certain.

Is your Fatsia japonica planted in the landscape or in a container? Is it in a shady location?

Here is a better pic, I hope. Thanks. This plant is in the landscape, not in a container. It is a vine that grows around my orchid hut so there are shady spots and sunny spots.

I see now there are insects so you are probably right.

It's Mealybugs.

I've been hesitating on this is because it just doesn't seem mealy buggish to me.

according to some articles on the internet, you guys in florida have yet another new pest to deal with - the fig (spiraling) whitefly.
compare the pics in on-line articles with yours.
might not be those but the residue looks somewhat similar to me.

according to some articles on the internet, you guys in florida have yet another new pest to deal with - the fig (spiraling) whitefly.
compare the pics in on-line articles with yours.
might not be those but the residue looks somewhat similar to me.

UPDATE:

It is not whitefly. However, those are white bugs in the picture as they move.
Tried spraying with insecticide.
Tried spraying with insecticide soap multiple times.
Tried using powerful water spray.
All these things remove the white, leaving dark pin specs underneath.

However, nothing is actually working as this spreads faster than I can spray (and I sprayed the entire plant).

Urgh.

Underneath the white are black spots.

I would suggest you call your local extension service if you haven't already. They may already have identified this type of thing from previous inquiries and they might have the best treatment identified as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: florida extension service

I've had spiraling whitefly on several plants. They are all over my neighborhood. It looked totally different on my bird of paradise than it did on the palm trees. In fact, the bird looked very similar to your vine. BUT I did not see the little bugs you have. So you are probably right - it is not whitefly.

Bayer systemic worked well for me on various bugs. It's a little pricey, but protects for up to a year. They also have a spray, but I haven't used that. Have you tried spraying with alcohol diluted 50/50? That has worked on a few things for me as well. Maybe try it on a couple of leaves to be sure it doesn't burn them.

I would bag up a couple of leaves in a ziplock bag (so you don't spread it around) and take it to the Ag Extension like Esh suggested. Maybe even a nursery can identify it for you. The Lee County extension has been very helpful for me on everything from bee swarms to ganoderma in my palms.

Good luck, Bruce! It's a full time job just battling the insects and fungi down here, isn't it?

This is a picture of spiraling whitefly on my bird of paradise. You can see where it gets its name. This is one of the less effected leaves and you can easily see the spirals. It attacks on the bottom of the leaves. There are other types of whitefly - a bucket load of them, actually - that do not make the spiraling pattern.

I have a great resource at Home Depot. This guy really knows his stuff, has identified some pests for me, and makes recommendations based on what the county extension tells him. Perhaps you will be so lucky.

I should have mentioned in my last post that the systemic Bayer can take a couple of weeks to a month to get into all parts of the plant and start working. The spray will work right away, but only lasts for a month. Using both will give you full coverage. Again - a little pricey, but much cheaper that hiring someone to take care of it for you.

I also sprayed the birds with a copper solution because, like yours, it looked like a fungus.

I hope you don't lose your plant!

http://bugguide.net/node/view/149263
I get it on my Jackson vines...they were really bad this year, and sooty mold is the next phase.