Iris Sawfly Rhadinoceraea micans
The larva of the Iris Sawfly may be as long as 50 mm and does look like the caterpillar of a White. It can be found on the Yellow Iris exclusively, including the ones in your garden along the pond. The eggs are deposited in May and the larvae eat a lot in just a few months time. By the end of July most of them seem gone. Actually they dug a hole in the groud, made a cocoon in there and remain there till next spring. Especially when appearing in large numbers the Iris Sawfly can do a lot of damage to your plants. The bigger larvae will eat the flowerbuds as well, worsening the damage. Adults are rather big, shiny, hairy and entirely black. As they are short lived they are rarely seen.
