Caterpillar Id. help please

[Adam Cheeseman]

Hi all,

these little chaps are devastating the leaves on the Guelder Rose bushes at Mayford Pond in Surrey. Any idea what this is the larva of. They are about 2-3mm long. I'm guessing some kind of micro-moth.

Many thanks,

Adam

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q...terpillar2.jpg

[UB4 gardener]

i do believe that is the viburnum leaf beetle larvae.

Chris

[Adam Cheeseman]

Spot on Chris. I just checked out your suggestion on the Bioimages website.

Many Thanks,

Adam

[tufftie]

Does anyone have any ideas on organic management of this as it's devastating one of our clients viburnums?

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by tufftie

Does anyone have any ideas on organic management of this as it's devastating one of our clients viburnums?

By hand?

[Jez]

Thanks Charlie for the suggestion. I can imagine brushing them off to be a right game as they are so small and the bushes very dense so getting into the heart of the bush to try and spot them a task and a half! The other problem that I see is once the bush (say we could do it by hand) is cleared of these minute beetles is that we are then left with a devastated viburnum and obviously would need to trim back possibly hard prune so the bush can give new growth which will be unspoilt by yet more beetle so to me it looks like it could well be a loosing battle and perhaps the best thing to do is dig it up and replace it. I'll bear your suggestion in mind, just wonder if anyone else has had any success with dealing with this?

I could be wrong but even if I started using sprays to fight off the beetles, all I'm doing is continuously throwing money at it and client would be better off in the long run just purchasing something else to replace it/them!!

Cheers in advance if any of you managed to overcome the problem and could let us know!

Jez

[charlieb]

Originally Posted by Jez

I'll bear your suggestion in mind, just wonder if anyone else has had any success with dealing with this?

Theres quite a bit of information on the net (try Viburnum leaf beetle) - but most say by hand

Supposedly ladybird, lacewing (larvae) and other inverts eat them.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by charlieb

Supposedly ladybird, lacewing (larvae) and other inverts eat them.

That's worth knowing. Cheers Charlie

[jeremiah]

I pass a large viburnum every day - it's just finishing flowering, and its leaves are being reduced to lace.

This happens nearly every year, the bush doesn't get pruned, it comes back into leaf and flower every year, and looks perfectly healthy until it gets eaten again. I think maybe all the frass gives it a fertiliser boost. Sparrows like it, too.

Do you have to do anything at all?

[Jez]

Originally Posted by jeremiah

I pass a large viburnum every day - it's just finishing flowering, and its leaves are being reduced to lace.

This happens nearly every year, the bush doesn't get pruned, it comes back into leaf and flower every year, and looks perfectly healthy until it gets eaten again. I think maybe all the frass gives it a fertiliser boost. Sparrows like it, too.

Do you have to do anything at all?

Thanks Jeremiah! Well Like you say this has been reduced to lace and since we started work for client we've only see it deteriorate further the client isn't happy about it, so really wanted to find someway to make it look healthier. It's a food plant for these beetles so as a wildlife gardener myself I'd be happy to leave it be, maybe I can convince the client just to do the same?

Cheers

Jez

[jeremiah]

From the link above:

"Also, start checking twigs closely from July through fall and winter for eggs. Look for rows of brownish-black bumps the size of pinheads that contain the eggs. These are easiest seen in fall when leaves drop. Pruning these infested twigs out is perhaps the best way to control the viburnum leaf beetle in future years."

Good luck with it!

[Jez]

Thanks for your help Jeremiah!