Bougainvillea Pests

Bougainvillea plants are evergreen or semi-evergreen flowering shrubby vines that grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 11. They have colorful blossoms, heart-shaped green leaves and sharp thorns. Bougainvillea plants are susceptible to attack from a number of insect species.

Identification

• Bougainvillea loopers are also called inchworms. These inch-long green and brown caterpillars are juvenile moths. Mealybugs form cottony white masses on the undersides of leaves and on bougainvillea roots. Aphids are small pear-shaped insects with backward-pointing tubes on the last segments of their bodies. Female scale insects are immobile with no recognizable body parts, according to the University of California.

Effects

• Bougainvillea loopers feed on leaves until they are eaten down to the stem, according to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Mealybugs stunt and kill plant growth by feeding on plant juices. Aphids, which also feed on plant juices, cause deformed leaves, wilting and leaf loss. Scale insects feed on plant foliage and leave sticky honeydew on leaves, which attracts a blackish fungus called sooty mold.

Prevention/Solution

• Control bougainvillea loopers with neem-based biological products or Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium that sickens and kills certain types of insects. Treat mealybugs with an appropriate insecticide. Control aphids and scale insects with insecticidal soaps.