To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] currant sawfly on gooseberries
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 09:40:24 -0700
Since they pupate in the soil, one thing I'd try would be killer
nematodes. They attack all sorts of soil dwelling pests and did a good
job on strawberry root weevils I had trouble with one time. If they
work on the sawfly pupae, it would be a long-term cure.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at
http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Sep 23, 2004, at 9:22 AM, derry&bill wrote:
Hélène,
It's not really a caterpillar, but a caterpillar-like pest. It is the
larval form
of a sawfly. It looks like a caterpillar and it is green, smooth with
black spots
and a black head. Hymenoptera Family. A British reference calls it
Nematus
ribesii.
The sawfly lays eggs along the underside of the veins of the currant
bush.
Depending on the weather, in south coastal B.C., the egg hatches at the
end of
April. There may be a second generation in June. They pupate in the
soil beneath
the currant bush. The sawfly emerges and flies up into the currant bush
to lay
eggs.