Pepper damage

Question: Can you narrow the id and suggest a spray from this picture of chewing on pepper?  Not as evident is destruction of new growth in center.  No frass evident, haven't seen any activity, and never similar damage in prior yrs.  There are a few leaves with interior holes but mostly it is chewed from edges.

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 26, 2023, 6:28 PM EDT
response: I tried to add this by edit to question I just entered, but apparently your "edit" option doesn't allow editing!  I wanted to add that although no frass evident there are a few leaves showing some black moldy areas as well as a few grey/black stains per pic.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 28, 2023, 12:05 PM EDT
response: Hi,  Sorry you were having difficulty editing, but we got the photos and information either way. Peppers rarely suffer from insect feeding damage, and what you're seeing is likely due to a caterpillar or beetle chewing on some of the leaves. It probably will not defoliate the plant and there isn't a need for a spray to control them. If you see any beetles/caterpillars, you could pick them off by hand or tap them into a bucket of soapy water. The black substance you are seeing looks like it could be sooty mold as a result of sap sucking insects such as aphids that excrete 'honeydew'- a sticky substance that cause sooty mold to grow. You can just pick off that leaf. If you do notice aphids, Try just scraping them off or blasting them off with a strong stream of water from the hose. Usually that is enough to control their population and natural predators can keep the rest in check.  You can check out the following links for more information: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/aphids-vegetables https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-peppers-home-garden https://extension.umd.edu/resource/honeydew-and-sooty-mold Let us know if you have further questions.  Emily

responder: The Question Asker Replied June 28, 2023, 6:20 PM EDT
response: You may have missed the second sentence stating not clear in pic is eating of the apical growth tips, so it will be having serious impact on production.  I've never had any issue in prior yrs, and there is no damage to surrounding tomato, cucs, kale, swiss chard, beans, and eggplant (except for flea beetles).  Given the selective damage, I thought there could be an obvious choice or 2. On Wed, Jun 28, 2023 at 12:05 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied June 29, 2023, 2:27 PM EDT
response: We do not see apical meristem damage in the photo provided, but since the center of the plant is not in focus in that image, perhaps we missed it. You would need to identify the specific type of pest causing damage in order to choose the most appropriate pesticide to be effective while reducing the risk to pollinators visiting this plant. Many different insects can chew foliage, and if not visible during the day, you can inspect the plant after dark to see if they have returned to feed when it's less likely predators will find them. It's also possible the damage seen now was done by an insect already gone by now (eaten by something before you noticed the damage) so there will be nothing to treat.  Low-toxicity insecticide options for chewing insects include Bt (the strain used of this bacterium needs to be chosen for the type of insect present - caterpillars vs. beetles, for instance) and spinosad, which could be absorbed into treated tissues of the plant. Make sure any pesticide you opt to use is labeled for use on edible plants as not every product using these more organic ingredients is formulated to be used on vegetables, even if the percentage of active ingredient in different products is exactly the same. Other low-toxicity options like horticultural oil and insecticidal soap will have no impact if they cannot directly contact the pest in question. The only other alternative is to use a physical barrier like insect netting atop the plant, secured to the soil surface, but once the pepper flowers need pollination, this would need to be removed to allow access to bees.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied July 02, 2023, 11:24 AM EDT
response: I enlisted my neighbor with a clearer pic of the apical chewing.  Please realize it is difficult to take a pic of plant material that has been chewed away!  As this plant separated into 3 branches at its top, the chewing prevented the growth from proceeding normally.  These 2 pics probably won't help, but just in case...After looking at least twice a day at my 13 plants, and my neighbor at his, I finally spotted a bug. I squashed it first so wouldn't escape, then took pic.  It's shape is not very contorted from when alive.  Obviously we won't know if this type of insect did all the damage, but for now it is the only one seen, and still no damage to other vegs.  Sure appreciate your help. On Thu, Jun 29, 2023 at 2:27 PM Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied July 05, 2023, 12:00 PM EDT
response: Hi- the insect is most likely the immature stage of a stink bug. Stink bugs have piercing/sucking mouthparts; they don't chew leaves. We don't know which specific insect(s) fed on your pepper plants. Tip-pruning any damaged pepper branches will encourage new lateral shoots below the cut. Jon