For over 30 years, our maiden hair fern has thrived. This year, in one garden, their leaves have been desiccated. I took a frond into Bachman's and t...
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Maidenhair fern pest #879805
Asked August 01, 2024, 5:41 PM EDT
For over 30 years, our maiden hair fern has thrived. This year, in one garden, their leaves have been desiccated. I took a frond into Bachman's and they magnified and found something that looks like eggs. Attached is a photo of that, plus two of a healthy plant and that plant with the problem. See that the meadow rue is also being eaten.
Additionally, I have noticed lots of very, small skinny tannish flying insects throughout this side of the yard and that a number of species are having a harder time, seeming to be eaten.
Hennepin CountyMinnesota
Expert Response
We can't determine what's affecting the fern leaves by viewing the photos.
However, based upon what we can see, leaflets of the affected plant appear to have been skeletonized by insects. A number of chewing insects create this kind of damage, but we'd have to see the insects or sharp photos to identify them. For example, here are photos of leaves skeletonized by earwigs:
What appear to be insect eggs on leaflet edges are probably sori (clusters of spore producing receptacles), a normal part of the plant's anatomy . Compare here:
