Sawfly - Berberis
Description
Caterpillars have creamy white bodies with yellow markings, spotted with black dots and a black head. Up to 18mm long when fully developed. The adults are 8mm long, shiny black fly like insects, with greyish-black wings.
Symptoms
From mid spring to mid autumn the adults inject eggs into the underside of the leaf, these hatch into caterpillars which feed on the leaves. Twigs, branches and even whole plants of Berberis, Mahonia and Nandina can be stripped of foliage within a few days.
