(Johnson and Lyon, 1991). The early feeding damage causes “windowpanes” of transparent leaf tissue on the leaf as the larvae feed on the surface of the leaf. They are velvety, yellow-green in color and up to 1/2 inch long. Look for a slimy green worm-like insect that looks like, but is not a slug or caterpillar. Some leave holes or notches in the leaves, while others skeletonize the leaves by completely devouring the tissue between the veins. Larvae are yellow-green caterpillar-like insects with an orange head. When fully mature, pear sawfly larvae resemble green-orange caterpillars. Although they resemble caterpillars more than slugs, bristly roseslugs (Cladius difformis) are nether one. Rose Sawfly/Rose Slug . When young, its mouth is too small to be able to chew all the way through the leaf. make short work of the rose slugs. Description of rose sawfies . All three sawfly species feed on only roses (Rosa sp.) The adult (1/5 inch long) is a black and yellow, 4-winged non-stinging wasp (sawfly) that is rarely noticed. Cladius difformis, the bristly rose slug, is a species of common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. The roseslug is a sawfly larva (plant-feeding wasp). About 10 show signs of sawfly larvae damage each year, but it only affects a few leaves before hand-picking or their natural enemies (wasps, birds, etc.) There are three main species of roseslug, the bristly roseslug, the roseslug, and the curled roseslug. Pupa, ventral view . You can see a green sawfly slug on a leaf on the lower right hand side of the photo under the bloom. This insect is really small and can be easily overlooked as its coloration will be similar to the leave itself. Conifer sawflies, for instance, are found in coniferous trees, such as pine and spruce. Rose sawfly (sometimes called rose slug) larvae are a common pest of roses. Leaf blotches during May and June are a telltale sign or symptom of the Roseslug Sawfly. Young larvae (1/2 inch long) are greenish-black, elongated, slim and slug-like, with very little evidence of legs. (Some sawfly larvae look even more sluglike than rose slugs; for example, the pear slug, which does a good imitation of a black slug.) External links. Sawflies. Lacy leaves that eventually turn brown on roses may be a clue that rose slugs, actually a sawfly, are dining on your plants.. A close look at the underside of the leaves, especially at night, may reveal the culprit. The larvae grow up to ¾ inches in length. Figure 1. The family, Tenthredinidae has more of the commonly encountered sawflies in the landscape including the roseslug sawfly. As the slugs grow, they become lighter colored. By relying on BTK, you may be increasing the rose slug population. They go through several generations a year. Larva . Rose Slug Sawfly. Female . 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