Eggs on leaf? Identification - Ask Extension
Hello, I’m trying to identify what is on my Meyer lemon leaf. It appears to be eggs of some sort, but no one online has been able to identify it eit...
Knowledgebase
Eggs on leaf? Identification #920675
Asked October 27, 2025, 11:19 AM EDT
Hello, I’m trying to identify what is on my Meyer lemon leaf. It appears to be eggs of some sort, but no one online has been able to identify it either. I’m getting ready to bring the tree inside for winter so I’d like to figure it out so I can decide what to do with it. If it’s a beneficial species, I can just leave the leaf outside. If it’s not, I can destroy it. Thanks so much.
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
We can't identify the object/residue with certainty, other than to say it's not a mealybug (right overall shape, but too large and much too flat) or any other notable citrus/houseplant pest. We would not be concerned about moving it inside. It looks like either a silken remnant of a spider egg sac (or some other spider construction) or perhaps what was left behind from an egg cluster laid by an unidentified insect. You don't need to remove the leaf, and it looks like the material will wipe off easily. (If not, then there's no harm in snipping that one leaf off if you wanted.)
Miri
Miri
