What is this bug on my fig tree?

[kateal]

I've noticed some translucent foam with black specks on my fig tree and something similar on my choisya. After it goes away (usually washed away by rain) it leaves the leaves burned and dying. A gardener friend said maybe a systemic pesticide in the soil might help but I don't want to do that with something I may eat. Any ideas, anyone? Thanks.

I wonder if the black specks are caterpillar frass (poo)? It looks as though the culprit has chewed the surface of the leaf, leaving it translucent. If only a few leaves are affected, I would just pick them off and dispose of them, but a larger infestation is a different matter.

Just my thoughts!

Agree with NantheWiser as always! In fact, I wouldn't necessarily remove the leaf since there's still enough of it healthy to be doing the plant some good.

My experience, if you can hold your nerve through the first few years, is that leaving pests to their own devices is usually fine - there will be enough predators around to control them once the predators are used to the food supply and have built up their numbers. There are exceptions! - lily beetles for example.

Thanks both for the advice - as you suggest, I'll leave well alone and see if the problem recurs on new growth next spring. I usually tend to do that anyway out of sheer laziness but it's good to know that's actually the right thing to do for once!