In the past a strong soap solution worked on the black larvae. But so does blasting them off with water and anything you would use with aphids. (These guys are so much more damaging than even the giant colonies of aphids that its not even funny.)

Its the adults that are a real problem. Their armor like shell is impossible to crush with anything but a rock. Very hard to use fingers because of the projections on their exterior-- like little thorns. But so very strong. Amazingly strong exoskeleton or whatever its called. They're well designed that's for sure.

They also move and hide and hop back on when disturbed or tossed aside. They're difficult to detect on bushy tomato plants (which is where they like to be.) I am not sure of the color of the eggs nor where they are laid nor have I found much info on that to make me confident of egg elimination. Soap solution makes the adults laugh at you. Pyrethrins also have no noticable effect.

And I also haven't read how they get to the initial location to begin with. If they overwinter in soil or fly or what. If anyone can lead me to an extensive article about their biology it would be much appreciated. I just can't find much.

My tentative plan is to just be out there every other day spraying the bushes down with a serious blaster and hand pick all that I can- toss in deep bucket and use a brick for mass smashing. This is going to be exhausting. But its very depressing and disheartening to see the damage they do on the plants. I normally never have pest problems and even when they do show up they're so easy to deal with. Not these guys. They're completely evil.

I would appreciate any advice one might have with regards to these guys...

I can't find much about them either (and nothing re possible suggestions for eradication), but they appear to be farmed by ants, just like aphids are. So that might be an approach for you -- look for and kill the ants.

Have you tried something like carbaryl (Sevin) to see if there's any effect on the adults?

I did think of calling our Master Gardener hotline today. And managed to stump two of them before the third found them referenced in a tree and landscape book.

They were listed as Buffalo Treehoppers. Same latin name.

They apparently overwinter as eggs under the bark of many common trees and will in fact infect the trees. Like poplar, oak, ash and others.

Don't know if they fly/how mobile the adults are.

Only said they were "FOUND all over the US." Didn't mention an origin nor native area.

Recommended control with insecticidal soap and pyrethrins.

The eggs ARE laid inside the stem of the plant in the soft tissue.

No mention of length of larvae/egg/adult cycle.

Oh and he also mentioned farming by ants and that the larvae produce a honeydew. However I never had an ant problem. I'm sure I didn't have ants. But will certainly watch for them!! I usually do because they lead right to the aphids and scale on my gardenias and I'm always pausing and looking for ants because they're a dead giveaway that "something bad" is happening on my plants even if I can't figure it out right away. :)

Laying eggs in the stem... no wonder they are so destructive. I may just "lean towards" breaking off the tips from where I see the adults if its at all possible. Because i'd be removing eggs and the stems will already be damaged enough to not perform well down the road.

Well that is one good plan I can put into place where possible. Tomatoes grow back. And if I can remove the infected portions of the plants early and thoroughly that may make significant strides against the invasion.

I wish I could find out more about their biology. I wonder if UC Davis had a 1-800 pest hotline. I will have to find out.

Whee! now I know what they are.

OK, in the juvie stage (black aphidy things and the spiky things) they bite the dust with Safer Garden Spray immediately. Spray, they're dead in 3 hours. HOWEVER, they leave open wounds on the plant when you wash 'em off. All mine were on the low end of the branches which meant that unless I was really careful watering, nasty spores got into the wounds -- so once they die, you have to water really carefully.

Safer seemed to have no affect on the adults (of course, I had no clue they were related....). Neem oil seemed to get 'em, but it wasn't immediate -- I just found about 10 corpses on the dirt a day after I Neemed the plant.

Oh, and yes, I did have ants in the two pots that I had the nasty black things in. Couldn't figure out what they were playing with since I didn't see any aphids, scale, etc....

Thanks so much for your pix!

Tricerotop is more to the point!

Okay so I might have gotten luck... spotted them for first time today, so might have caught them in time. I sprayed the organic "Flea and Tick pet and bedding spray" (from Petco) that I use on my dogs.... later after some reading I went back out with a soap spray solution... to find most of the critters gone. So they either hide at night... or the flea and tick spray got them. Anyway... sprayed with the soap.. and will be vigilant now, before they make adult.

I have NO ANTS... so I don't understand the clustering. As well... some of my tomato stems are "lumpy"... does this indicate areas brimming with laid eggs? I have a mix of Roma, Grape, and general small/medium 'round' tomatoes.

-Steve

bigler.steve@gmail.com