First discovered in 2019 on central Oahu, the avocado lace bug (ALB) quickly spread throughout Oahu. Shortly thereafter reports came in from Hawaii island, Kauai, and Maui. Known from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Southeastern United States, and California, ALB is presumed to have arrived in Hawaii on the leaves of an infested host plant.
Janis Matsunaga, entomologist with the HDOA Plant Pest Control Branch: “Avocado lace bug probably affects almost every tree on Oahu to some degree and has spread across the entire island. It is also now well established on Hawaii island, and is spreading across Kauai and Maui. This has been one of the fastest spreading pests to invade Hawaii in recent years.
On Maui, infestations are concentrated at lower elevations, however, they have been detected as high as Copp Road in upper Kula. There have been no reports of ALB on Molokai or Lanai at the time of publication.
ALB weakens the plant by sucking the sap from the undersides of avocado leaves, resulting in yellow blotches or browning and leaves falling prematurely. The bugs are tiny. The University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) is determining the best treatment methods for avocado lace bug in the islands. They encourage limiting chemical applications to when infestations are high, and timing applications to avoid spraying when trees are flowering to protect beneficial insects.
Source: mauinews.com