California pear sawfly (Pristiphora abbreviata)
Pear slug (Caliroa cerasi)
Pest description and damage Pear slug is a European insect now found in most areas of the U.S. It attacks both pear and cherry and is found on mountain ash, hawthorn, and ornamental Prunus. The adult is a glossy black fly-like insect, about 0.2 inch in length. The larva initially resembles a small tadpole due to the olive-green slime that covers the body, and the head being wider than the rest of the body. Mature larvae are 0.375 inch long and orange yellow. Larvae feed on the upper surface of leaves, skeletonizing them. Heavy feeding causes leaf drop, with reduction in vigor and yield, particularly on young trees. The pear sawfly is green in color, caterpillar-like, feeds along the leaf edges, and may be difficult to detect.
For biology, life history, monitoring and management
See:
Pear (Pyrus)-Pear sawfly (pear slug)
See "Sawfly" in:
Management-chemical control
See Table 2 in: