Edwards Wasp Moth

• The Edwards wasp moth caterpillar eats banyan tree leaves. An infested banyan tree will have holes in the leaves and leaf margins. You may notice cocoons in the leaves or nearby walls. The fuzzy yellowish caterpillar has a broken brown strip in the middle of its back, and a reddish brown head. The adult moth has an orange head, a grayish and blue back and an orange and white underside. It has a 1 1/2-inch-wide wingspan.
  
  

Fig Whitefly

• The fig whitefly can strip the leaves from a banyan tree and cause the tree to appear dead. The University of Florida IFAS Extension states that a stripped tree may still be alive if its twigs are not brittle. Other symptoms include small whitish spots--empty pupae cases--on the undersides of the leaves, yellowing leaves and tree death. The fig whitefly is a tiny yellowish moth-like insect. Its white wings have a gray band across the middle. Tan or green nymphs suck the juice from the undersides of the leaves.
  
  

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug

• In spite of its name, the pink hibiscus mealybug attacks a wide variety of plants, including banyan trees. The adult female measures 1/16 inch long and has a pink body with a whitish waxy coating. The male has a smaller, reddish brown body. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, this bug can reproduce 15 new generations each year. As the bug sucks juices from the roots and undersides of the leaves, it injects a toxin that causes distorted, stunted leaves and fruits. White fluff or honey dew may be present on any plant part.
  
  

Natural Predators

• Natural predators are an effective control for these banyan tree pests. In late summer and early fall, Edwards wasp moth caterpillars and pupae are vulnerable to tachinid flies, chalcid wasps and stink bugs. Tiny parasitic wasps prey on fig whiteflies and pink hibiscus mealybugs. According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, a single redheaded ladybird beetle can eat up to 5,000 pink hibiscus mealybugs during its life.
  
  

Control

• Bacillus thuringiensis controls Edwards wasp moth caterpillars without harming the bug's natural enemies. A weekly, thorough spraying with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil is effective against the fig whitefly. If you must use chemical pesticides, choose products that are not harmful to natural predators. Such products include imidacloprid and dinotefuran, which are effective against the fig whitefly.