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Hundreds of caterpillars! #748225

Asked May 05, 2021, 3:05 PM EDT

Good afternoon, I noticed my creeping plant (don’t remember the name) was looking horrible. On closer inspection I saw the leaves were almost completely eaten! I looked even closer and saw hundreds of hungry caterpillars chewing away. I’ve had this perennial creeping plant for 4-5 years and have never seen this. Can I treat the plants with anything to kill the caterpillars and will they come back? Any Suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Howard County Maryland

Expert Response

Hello, 

Those are actually not caterpillar but are sawfly larvae.  It look like it might be from the Genus Monostegia.  They tend to be short lives and should be gone in a few weeks with plenty of time for your plant to regrow leaves so you can just leave them alone.  If they are really bother you, you can hand pick them off.  Since they are not caterpillars they are not controlled with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). You could try using  insecticidal soap but due tot their size they might be to large for it to be effective. 

As a last resort, chemical options include: spinosad, acephate (Orthene), bifenthrin, carbaryl (Sevin), malathion and permethrin. Make sure if you do use a chemical that you read and follow the label. 

- Emily 

An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 06, 2021, 10:53 AM EDT

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