By Tpf
South Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
Hi,
I have just got round to photographing what I thought was a fungal disease on a shrub I have.
The leaves are getting a red/maroon blotchy appearance.
First off I don’t know what the shrub is but it is evergreen.
I thought it was a Viburnam but not sure because it is not deciduous.
I decided to cut off has many of the infected leaves as possible to take pictures.
When I took a close up of the underside I realised it was some sort of mite infestation.
I hope you can see in the pictures.
I Just want to know what are these critters and how can I eradicate them.
Also what is the shrub called?
Many thanks for any reply.
24 May, 2011
Answers
I agree they're aphids. Does the bush have flowers Tpf? It looks like a currant - possibly flowering currant.
By the way, there are evergreen Viburnums, but I don't think this is one.
24 May, 2011
Hi, Many thanks for the replies.I shall certainly zap them with soapy solution first before I try chemicals.
It has never flowered and I thought flowering currants had thorns !. I have a ribes bush at the top end of my garden which flowers and self seeds freely.
Just wondering which variety of Virburnam is evergreen ?
I bought the shrub as a bare root cutting , maybe 5-6 years ago and I can not remember what it was called, except I had an incling that it might also have been Escallonia but the leaf shape I think is wrong for that. It has never flowered !! I moved house 2 years ago and brought it with me.
Many thanks again.
25 May, 2011
Viburnum Tinus is evergreen Tpf. It has small white and pink flowers in rossettes and quite a nice perfume. It can get a bit out of control if you don't prune back hard.
25 May, 2011
Thanks Dorjac and Beattie.
I have a few more plants I need to identify.I need to take pics eventually and post them for identification. I do name tag things now as I buy and grow(otherwise I would forget what they were..)Trying to improve on my Latin names....!! :(!..
26 May, 2011
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They look like some sort of aphid. soapy solution or zap them with some sort of insectcide.
24 May, 2011