MSU Extension Integrated Pest Management

Pear slug (Pear sawfly)

Insect

Pear slug (Pear sawfly)

Caliroa cerasi (L.)

Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae

Distribution: Most fruit-growing states and provinces in eastern North America.

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The adult looks similar to a small, black-bodied wasp with the ventral side and legs yellow in color. The larva is small, fleshy, dark green to orange, slug-like, and slime-covered, with the front part of the body enlarged (A). As the pear slug grows in size, it becomes somewhat lighter in color, until it is nearly orange-yellow when full grown (B).

• Crops Affected: cherries, pears, plums

  Damage

  Attacks pear, cherry, and plum. Larvae feed on the surface of leaves, which they skeletonize, leaving only a framework of veins (C).

  Management

  Foliar insecticide sprays applied shortly after petal fall will control pear slug; larvae can also be washed off the foliage of backyard trees with a strong stream of water. Rarely a pest in commercial plantings.