I never had a problem with these dang lubbers until maybe five or six years ago, they are worthless plant destroying bugs. I've been doing my Lubber hunts since I saw the first little nymphs early March, but they have now found my back tropical garden. They nibbled on every leaf of this Alocasia, enough to ruin its beauty, and I still haven't found this one.

I have basic grasshoppers and hate them with a vengeance. But those lubbers!!! I've only seen pictures and they give me the heebie jeebies. I'm not in the habit of random insect-killing, but I have no qualms about nailing grasshoppers or cockroaches. Good luck on your hunt

What a disappointment, that ALocasia was beautiful. Surely new leaves will quickly replace the damaged ones.

Zoe, the lubbers are creepy alien looking, when they get older and larger, right now they're just an inch long and hop really fast. I agree on the roaches, I find them in stacked plastic pots all the time, they are filet mignon to the lizards. A roach in the house is usually dead by the time I find it, if the pesticide hasn't killed them, the cats will torture it until it gives up. Unfortunately nothing eats the lubbers due to their toxins.
Alice, that plant is just the beginning, by the time the summer is over, a good portion of plants will have lots of nibbled leaves, some like lilies to an extreme of having to be cut back.

I am just keeping my fingers crossed they do not find our home. I know they are around, others in this area are complaining about them but I have not seen any myself - YET.

ardesia said: I am just keeping my fingers crossed they do not find our home. I know they are around, others in this area are complaining about them but I have not seen any myself - YET.

Just don't plant any lilies, they love them, especially Crinum lilies.

I think they're more common in Central and S. FL. I've seen them as far north as Flagler beach.

I have many Crinums.....

I never had them in my SC home in the bottom corner of the state but I did see them in Georgetown, SC about 3 hours north of my home. I suspected at the time they came in with a shipment of plants to Brookgreen Gardens. Later I heard they had become a problem in that area.

The Lubbers are horrible here this year. The Crinums look to be their favorite snack with the Ti plant coming in as their second favorite. The Bromeliads and Crotons are also being snacked on at times.

They are colorful—indeed, they almost don't look real—but YIKES that's a lot!

Ugh, you need a blow torch....LOL.

After saying I have not seen any in my garden I do think I am seeing some damage from some. One of my Ti's, in a pot on the patio, has damage that looks a lot like you are showing Scott. I have been going out at night to look for whatever was getting it, thinking it might be army worms, but maybe it was a lubber or two. I have not noticed any other damage but I will certainly look again. A trio of Mallards from the pond have moved into the back yard and Murphy dog has made friends with them (well, he does not chase them but they are not play pals ) I wonder if ducks eat lubbers?
I have a mess of Crinums and Ti's this could be bad.

Alice read this, best information I've found on them. I've watched the Wrens and lizards go right by them, they won't touch them. This article state birds and animals get sick and even die from eating them.
https://academic.oup.com/jipm/...

The first time I ever saw a Lubber Grasshopper was in 2017 and (thankfully), I've only seen two or three every year since. Yikes Scott, it looks like you have a lot of those destructive pests in your garden! They haven't appeared in my yard so far this year but they are definitely in the neighborhood. Last week a neighbor (who hasn't lived in Florida very long) showed me a photo she took of another neighbors yard because she thought it was so beautiful with bromeliad's, staghorn ferns and orchids hanging in the trees. She asked me about the colorful and large grasshoppers that were on the orchids and asked me if they would hurt the plants! I will be walking around my yard every day looking for those alien looking creatures and any that are found will be squished! They do have pretty colors but they are so destructive!

This Lubber photo is from a couple of years ago.

Yep they nibble on orchids...too

I am seeing more damage on my Ti's but I still have not seen any lubbers. I plan to spray with Spinosad later today and hope that helps.

Alice, the lubbers aren't full size yet, mine are still black in color and only about 4-5 centimeters long, so they're not always easy to find. Lubbers seem to have good eyesight, and when they see you will move behind a leaf to hide. Best time to look for is the last couple hours of daylight and mid morning. If it is lubbers nibbling on your plants, keep looking in the area where fresh nibbles are.

I read somewhere the female lays eggs where she was hatched, so I went to the spot I start seeing the nymphs in late Feb, early March. Last year, I found them not even on my property but my next door neighbor's yard in some unkept grassy area with weeds, and again this year the same place. I sprayed them with ant and roach spray, and it killed them pretty quickly, got a good 60+ at one time. I have been battling them for well over 7 years, but the last two not near the amount I had been getting.

A teenage Lubber on my Monstera, I guess when you have a plant that already has fenestrations in it, not too bad when a lubber adds another one.

My husband squashed a large one a couple of days ago, luckily we haven't seen any more but we're keeping an eye out.

Nolo bait is the only thing that kills them but is only effective while they are young and still black. If they mature, they will require a brick to unalive them. Nasty creatures.

The destruction continues in the garden with the Lubbers.



The female here did not even take a break from eating while fulfilling her reproductive needs.