I saw the first tell-tale signs on 8 July. Nibbled leaves on our berberis bush. I turned over a leaf or two, and sure enough, there were larvae on their undersides. Tiny little things, much tinier than when I’d first seen them in October of last year.
Yes, the Berberis sawfly larvae (Arge berberidis), recorded in Yorkshire for the first time ever last year in our garden (read all about it), were back! And they’ve been steadily nibbling more and more of our berberis, and growing bigger …
and bigger …
ever since!
Have a look in your gardens too. If you find the same larvae on your berberis or mahonia bushes (or on anything else, for that matter!), Andrew Halstead from the Royal Horticultural Society would like to know about it. (Find out more.)
Find out more about Berberis sawflies (including photos and videos of eggs, larvae and adults) here
