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| Well, my lysimachia 'Golden Alexander" has been skeletonized. All that is left are the stalks and the center veins of each leaf.
I assumed it was slugs, but now I don't know. Japanese Beetles perhaps? They're supposed to be bad here right now, but I've not seen them. I've not seen either actually ON the plant, but I have seen 1" long slugs within the mulch of that garden. Ideas? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Could be a type of sawfly larva? I found a green caterpillar on the back of skeletonized lady's mantle leaves in a pot last week & just squished it, so no picture. Last year, the same thing happened in that pot by the back slider. Last year also had the skeletonized leaves on a currant bush, but didn't find the 'critter'. I'm in WA state & we don't have the Japanese beetles. |
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- Posted by thisismelissa z4a-S Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Fri, Jul 22, 11 at 17:16
| Well, bust my britches. It could be! I wonder if they're long gone now. Until last week, there were just holes, but now, there are no leaves at all. And in my backyard, the lysimachia nummularia 'aurea' was skeltonized too. Again, I'd blamed that on the slugs, but you might be right. I have seen a lot more "caterpillars" in our yard this year, so this might explain it. Thanks! But to the others: keep the ideas coming! |
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| Slugs don't bother my L. numm 'A...' (golden creeping Jenny). Found more skeletonized plants & squished more green caterpillars. Also, eating holes on the lower foxglove leaves. Small damage here. More damage to apple trees from deer who stripped the new growth from a tree on the fringe of the garden. Now that bed gets more sunlight. He, he. |
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| You'll have to really look to find the species of sawfly that is commonly found on lysimachia. They really blend in! There's also another one that is lighter green. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Loosestrife sawfly larvae
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- Posted by gottagarden z5 western NY (My Page) on Tue, Jul 26, 11 at 14:54
| I've had this loosestrife sawfly before, they destroy Alexander l. but don't bother other plants. This year I don't have them, some years I do. |
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- Posted by thisismelissa z4a-S Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Wed, Jul 27, 11 at 0:29
| Ok, so the damage to my lysimachia nummularia seems to have stopped and new growth is re-flushing. The Golden Alexander is toast... gone. Skeletonized completely. So, I kind of assume that whatever it was is now gone. But if it's these sawfly larvae, how do you control them? I presume it's too late to do anything right now. In the spring? |
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| Sawfly larvae are pretty easy to control with ordinary insecticidal soap applications. Maybe even with a stout spray of plain water. I avoid using anything stronger than the insecticidal soap because so many other creatures love these larvae: birds, toads, frogs, wasps, and more. |
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- Posted by thisismelissa z4a-S Twin Cities MN (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 14 at 21:36
| Just a followup to this if anyone comes upon it. In 2012 and 2013, I treated both the Loosestrife and Creeping Jenny with an early dose of a systemic insecticide for sawfly larvae and had no problems. This year, there has been no damage. |
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