Working on the pond, I noticed one of the Mugo Pine “dwarf trees” looking very sick; looking closer, I saw it was covered in little Caterpillars, clearly having a major feast on the leaves!
Pat had some “kill” spray, which seemed to do the trick – they all started falling off. I’ll have to check again in a few days …
The redheaded pine sawfly, Neodiprion lecontei (Fitch). Sawflies are actually related to bees and wasps and are not really flies. Sawfly caterpillars resemble moth or butterfly caterpillars and feed on the foliage of most pine species in Florida. The redheaded pine sawfly is an occasional nursery pest of pine seedlings. Eggs are laid in the needles and the larvae, feeding gregariously, can defoliate an entire seedling in a short period of time. Controls that work for caterpillars should also work for sawfly larvae. Adult redheaded pine sawflies do not feed.
That’s the guys! Well found, Kittie 🙂
Hope I didn’t bring them up with me from Florida …