Hibiscus Sawfly

• Hibiscus sawflies (Atomacera decepta) are tiny, flying parasites of hibiscus in the temperate regions of North America. They are common in central states, like Ohio, and states along the Atlantic coastline, including Delaware and Connecticut. Adult sawflies are barely more than 1/4 inch long and can be distinguished by their black and orange markings. Females lay eggs in the stems and foliage of hibiscus plants. A myriad of greenish, wormlike larvae emerge and begin to defoliate the plant shortly after hatching.
  
  

Leaf Rollers

• Leaf rollers are the larvae of several different moth species that can infest many types of trees and shrubs. The red-banded leaf roller (Argyrotaenia velutinana) and fruit-tree leaf roller (Archips argyrospila) are two of the dozens of leaf roller species. These caterpillars can be 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long and are one of the most common pests of ornamental plants in North America. Unlike sawfly larvae, leaf rollers consume their host's fruit and stems in addition to its foliage. A serious infestation can cripple or even kill a mature hibiscus plant.
  
  

Cabbage Looper

• The cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is one of the most prolific plant pests in North America -- it thrives in areas of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Their movement resembles that of an inchworm, they bend their body upwards and slide their front end outwards to propel themselves forward. These moth larvae only take a few weeks to fully mature, which allows them to produce multiple generations in a single year. These light green worms are notorious defoliators of various garden vegetables, but they also attack ornamental plants.
  
  

Leaf Miners

• The damage caused by leaf miners is easily recognizable compared to that of other larval pests.Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Leaf miners are actually a large collection of larva from various species much like leaf rollers. These worms are among the smallest group of caterpillars that prey on hibiscus plants. They include the azalea leaf miner (Caloptilia azaleella) and citrus leaf miner (Phyllocnistis citrella). Adult moths and other insects deposit their eggs within the layers of tissue of the leaves on trees and shrubs. Once the larval caterpillars hatch, they remain between the top and bottom layers of the leaf, and eat it from the inside out. An infestation of leaf miners causes leaves to develop oddly shaped streaks and visible tunnels, which turn eventually cause the foliage to turn brown and die.
  
  

Bollworm

• The bollworm (Helicoverpa zea) is primarily a pest of commercial cotton crops in the United States, but is also a common threat to ornamental hibiscus. The adult form of the insect is a small moth with a wingspan of less than 2 inches. The semitransparent larvae hatch a few days after being deposited, but they spend well over a month feeding and growing before reaching maturity. Bollworms are more common in the warm regions of the southern United States. This makes them a local threat to the many species and cultivars of hibiscus that thrive in southern states.
  
  

Cutworms

• Cutworms are brown larvae from several different nocturnal moth species. While the adult insects post no threat to hibiscus or other ornamental plants, their brown and black larvae can be quite devastating. Cutworms often appear suddenly in large numbers and they consume flowers, fruit, leaves and thin stems. They feed in spring and early summer, when new plants are emerging and mature plants are producing fresh growth. Cutworm caterpillars are primarily nocturnal feeders.