Knowledgebase
Rose infestation #755156
Asked June 09, 2021, 6:07 PM EDT
Anne Arundel County Maryland
Expert Response
Thank you for reaching out to us with your question and photos. We can see that there are larvae actively feeding on several of your rose leaves. We would like to get a closer look at them. Would you be able to send additional photos showing a close side view of the insects? We need to see the number of legs/prolegs in order to confirm whether they are sawflies or caterpillars of some other type. Your third photo shows what looks like caterpillar or moth pupae, possibly (can you confirm that webbing is present)? We first want to make an accurate ID of the insect.
Christa
The left photo shows a type of rose slug sawfly on the foliage. The adults resemble wasps and the larvae look like caterpillars but they are not. They are in the group called sawflies. The larvae skeletonize the leaves and in heavy infestations can cause leaves to turn brown and curl. They are easy to miss, small and wormy looking and often can be found beneath the leaves. Look under the leaves and monitor. It is possible the damage may have been done. Some rose slug species have more than one generation per year, so control efforts may need to be made more than once if you see damage continuing.
Here is our web page and how to best control: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/roseslug-sawflies-shrubs
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/common-problems-roses
Hand picking/squishing works and the most environmentally-friendly approach would be to try to blast the leaf undersides with a harsh jet of water from a hose nozzle. Sawfly larvae can't get back onto the plant after being dislodged like this.
Otherwise, low-impact insecticides like a summer rate of horticultural oil or spinosad (an active ingredient in several products) will help control them while having minimal or no impact on beneficial insects.
Spray upper and lower leaf surfaces. Follow label directions about how often repeat treatments can be/need to be made.
Right photo - The visitor is a type of moth and is not hurting the boxwood. No control is necessary.
Marian