# Honeysuckle Sawfly
Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) are a large group of shrubs and vines with fragrant flowers that bloom in pairs or clusters. The plants thrive in areas of full to partial sun. The trumpet-shaped or tubular flowers are followed by bright colored berries. The honeysuckle sawfly is a frequent pest of honeysuckles.
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Description
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Adult honeysuckle sawflies are bee-like, medium-sized flies with brown forewings. The flies have a metallic green or black abdomen. The dull-gray, yellow-striped larvae are 1 inch long with black spots on the back. Sawflies overwinter in the ground and emerge in midspring.
Damage
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Honeysuckle sawfly larvae inflict the most damage on plants. The caterpillars feed extensively on the foliage, eating entire leaves. In cases of severe infestation, the plants are defoliated. Honeysuckle sawflies produce one generation every year.
Control
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The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station recommends malathion or spinosad as a control option. For optimal efficacy, apply insecticide as soon as larvae are detected in plants to protect foliage from heavy damage.
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