Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - November 03, 2009
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Are the moths in my Austin, TX live oaks harmful?
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
It is November and my live oak trees are full of moths. What are they and are they harmful to my trees?ANSWER:
The insects you're seeing is almost certainly not moths, but butterflies. Texas is currently experiencing an explosion in the population of American Snout butterflies, Libytheana carinenta. These population explosions regularly occur when certain climatic conditions are met. During these times, billions of adult American Snout butterflies - which do resemble moths - may take to the air in Texas. Other states may see similar flights of this species, but in much smaller numbers.
The good news is that American Snouts do not feed on Live Oak, only hackberry. In fact, while the caterpillars of this species can, when the leaves are just emerging, feed on the foliage of any hackberry species, they actually feed almost exclusively on Celtis ehrenbergiana (spiny hackberry), listed as Celtis pallida by some sources. For more on the interesting life history of this butterfly species, see this excellent article on American Snout "migrations."
The adult American Snouts visiting your live oaks are probably attracted to the nectar-like secretions of plant-sucking insects, like aphids, living on your oaks. Though aphids and other insects like them do take some food and energy from Live Oak trees, they rarely cause enough damage to be of any real concern. For more information on oak pests, please visit this webpage from the Forest Pests website.
More Trees Questions
Privacy screen for Sedona AZ
August 02, 2013 - I live In Sedona Az. A builder just built a house next to my house and the new house is ugly to look at. What plant or tree would grow fast and reach 18 foot in height fast. It can be about 5 to 6 foo...
view the full question and answer
Will Mountain Laurels be harmed by juglones from my pecan tree?
May 06, 2009 - Hi. I just bought a house. It has a big pecan tree at the edge of the front lawn next to the street. I guess it's about 25 feet from the front of the house. I was thinking of planting mountain la...
view the full question and answer
Tree for South Dakota
April 24, 2012 - Sir, I am looking for suggestions on a backyard tree, nice shade tree 60-80' height to complement a split foyer house and a flowering crab that is currently there. Low maintenance, with no seeds or c...
view the full question and answer
Fast-spreading desert-type tree with thorns in yard
July 21, 2014 - There is a fast spreading tree in my backyard - many multiple almost symmetric flat green oval leaves on either side of the stem (sort of like a moringa tree but this is not that). Grows straight up, ...
view the full question and answer
Dying Bigelow oaks in Austin
July 30, 2010 - I have several stands of Bigelow Oak (Q.sinuata var. breviloba) in NW Austin mixed with Yaupon and Cedar Elms. Several have died each year for the past 8 years. Two now have brown, dry leaves which is...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |