Something’s been busy in my garden (and it’s not me)
I think it may be this chap. And his many friends…
This is the downside of butterflies, I suppose. But it would be nice to know what butterfly it’s going to grow up into before I take any drastic action. After all, it’s all biodiversity, and I didn’t like those plants very much anyway. I’ve tried looking here, but to no avail. Any ideas?*
*Some people might call this lazy blogging. I prefer to think of it as crowdsourcing.
July 18, 2009 at 1:15 pm |
What is he eating?
July 18, 2009 at 2:26 pm |
it’s a strange looking critter and no mistake.
July 18, 2009 at 4:30 pm |
Jane – it is – or, rather, was – Solomon’s Seal
John – they always look wierd if you get close enough
July 18, 2009 at 8:46 pm |
There is a solomon’s seal saw fly, and it does look like a saw fly larvae, so i am afraid that you don’t even get a butterfly for you shredded plants…if I’m right. Sorry
Check it out on google images?
July 18, 2009 at 8:59 pm |
yup that’s the one. Apparently it doesn’t do the plants any real harm though…
July 18, 2009 at 9:16 pm |
yeah right, plants are fine about being eaten back to a few twigs.
I get rose saw flies and if you disturb them they stand up on their hind legs and shake their fists at you, its rather sweet. (I may be anthropomorphising here a tad).
July 19, 2009 at 12:50 am |
Yup…saw fly larvae are a pain.
I recently spent week in hand-to-hand combat with a platoon of gooseberry saw fly larvae. I managed to pick them off one at a time. They have a voracious appetite and can kill a bush if unopposed!
I hadn’t been paying much attention recently as we’ve already harvested the gooseberries but today it looked as though they’ve opened up a second summer offensive…
July 20, 2009 at 11:00 am |
I had those little green buggers on my Solomon’s Seal last year. They ate it back to twigs and it grew okay this year.
They are trying to eat it this year, but I am wise their game now. I am collecting them and using them as bird food.
Don’t squash them though. Their insides are indelible.
July 20, 2009 at 11:33 am |
Why the birds can’t come and pick them off the Solomon’s seal themselves, I don’t know. Lazy little feathery buggers…