Use this forum to discuss matters relating to Agave, Beschorneria, Furcraea, Hesperaloe, Hesperoyucca, Manfreda, Polianthes, Yucca and related species. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.
Into the New River Mountains with my friend Peter (Peterthecactusguy). This was a slog -- a 4+ hour bushwhack up to 5000' to investigate a 30 year-old cited A. ×arizonica site. Fabulous place for succulents, we encountered Nolina, three or four different Echinocereus species, Opuntia, an unknown Dudleya I dubbed Dudleya 'Dooright', the omnipresent Yucca baccata, Y. angustissima v. kanabensis, and the stars of our show, A. chrysantha and A. toumeyana. These two Agaves represent the parentage of the natural hybrid A. ×arizonica, and unlike the Mazatzal populations I encountered, were intimately sharing habitat in every way imaginable. The A. toumeyana population in particular is of a magnitude not previously encountered by this observer; there are thousands of them, possibly tens of thousands across the area. Still, not a single A. ×arizonica plant to be found. Oh well, we were feeling a bit beat up by the time we managed to find the car, but it was great fun and a worthwhile effort.
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A. chrysantha
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A. toumeyana
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A. toumeyana
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A. toumeyana
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A. toumeyana
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A. chrysantha
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E. yavapaiensis
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A. toumeyana
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E. yavapaiensis
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E. yavapaiensis
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E. yavapaiensis
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E. yavapaiensis
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A. toumeyana
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E. yavapaiensis
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Dudleya 'Dooright'
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
yeah it was a fun, I managed to poke and stab myself too many times to count Nice area of habitat even if we didn't find what we were looking for. The Claret cups were likely E. coccineus var coccineus and there were also some Echinocereus yavapaiensis.
Another enormous A. chrysantha, probably the most massive I've seen
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A. chrysantha
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A. chrysantha
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A. chrysantha
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A. chrysantha
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A. chrysantha
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A. chrysantha
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A. toumeyana
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Wow, what a rich area for succulents and Agave! The A. chrysantha and toumeyana were outstanding as well as some of the Echicnocereus. Was the blooming one E. TRiglochidiatus? Such a rich red. Beautiful! I have been on the Interstate years ago at new River coming down from Flagstaff. I was not knowledgeable enough then to know what a rich area it was for Agave. I was still elated from seeing A. parryi couesii in habitat in Oak Creek Canyon earlier in the day. LOL.
Fred, it is absolutely rich habitat, but a terrible area to try to access. The New River Mountains are there to tease and taunt, but rarely satisfy. This particular habitat was accessible via 10 miles of dirt road, because there is a mine there, so the road must be maintained. That gorgeous clumping cactus appears to be E. yavapaiensis. I've seen plenty of attractive Echinocereus before, but none to rival these. Absolutely eye-popping!
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Good deal! Add 'em the Gallery! BTW, how do you like your new avatar?
What do you make of these guys?
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Might someone forward a guess in regard to the cause of this malady?
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
On Xeric world the same question came up. Greg Starr mentioned something called a 'running bug'. I get similar looking spots on some of my cacti from a sucking beetle like insect, the I have found called a 'cactus bug'.
mcvansoest wrote:On Xeric world the same question came up. Greg Starr mentioned something called a 'running bug'. I get similar looking spots on some of my cacti from a sucking beetle like insect, the I have found called a 'cactus bug'.
hahaha I had that theory too, but I call them Opuntia bugs.. they tend to like Opuntia but will suck on Mamms, Feros, and a few others types as well as Opuntiads
From everthing I have seem working with the agave parryi huachucensis, and the agave palmeri's the last two months I would say its running bug (Caulotops barberi,) Greg and I have seen a lot of agave's with this damage. Great Photos Ron, I am going to start working with agave chrysantha in the next couple of weeks, I will make sure to post photos, Martin
Then you must be heading up toward my way. Happy hunting!
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
The running bug as ID'd by Martin is a pretty similar looking bug to the cactus/Opuntia bug that I get in my back yard (depending on which google image you pick). I am sure there is a whole family of different species out there that do similar things to Agaves, Cacti and what not. I hose them off when I see them, but that really does not take care of them too well. I just do not get enough of them to do more than that, but it makes the plants look quite a bit less pretty, I have had them on Opuntias, Chollas, Cerei, Lophocereus, Tephrocacti, and Ferocacti, but not yet on Agaves, Aloes, Mamms, and Echinocerei. I guess for the Agaves I can say that the Snout Weevil treatment probably helps get rid of the running bugs as well, and most of my Mamms and Hedgehogs are just too spiny for them to get to the body, but I am not sure why they would leave my Aloes alone, I do not treat them with anything.
I had some spotting on some Agaves, but could always relate that to hail damage (it was directional and also obvious on the trees in my yard as well as other plants).
There is a little population around the Catalina Mountains that Greg and Danny told me about. I can make it there after I get of work on my early days. Martin
I think you're right. Greg pointed out running bug damage when I paid a visit, and the scars were quite a bit smaller. So this is probably either another type of running bug or a different sucking bug altogether. Peter pointed out what he thought might be the culprit on an Opuntia while we were there, and they didn't seem too keen on running. Shame what happened to some otherwise beautiful Agaves out there. I hope none of those critters hitchhiked home with me.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
my own .o2 cents I will look up what a running bug is. Wonder if they are similar. I do know that the "Opuntia" bugs are a member of the leaf foot bugs and they can give opuntia and other cacti a mosaic virus.
(or something akin to one)
Caulotops barberi is what comes up when I look for Running Bug, what led me in the direction of the cactus bug is pictures showing up among those for Caulotops, that look like the Cactus bug. So not the same bug, but in essence the same action: sucking damage.
Second Foray into Arizonica-ville: We quickly checked out a couple spots, but this was primarily a recognizance mission in the New River Mountains. The result: We're learning more and more about where A. arizonica isn't. A. chrysantha everywhere, Nolina, Echioncereus, Opuntia, Yucca -- all the usual suspects, but we didn't encounter a single A. toumeyana stalk. At last report, an exhaustive search by a team of DBG professionals turned up 64 known A. arizonica clones. Of those, some are surely gone, and others are nowhere near the area we are searching. This always figured to be difficult, and I expect several more recon missions will be necessary before attaining a successful end.
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".
"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
Nice area of habitat even if we didn't find what we were looking for. 
Running bug marks are much smaller, maybe 1-2mm.