Berberis Sawfly.
The leaves are about as big as a thumb nail.
I saw these tiny flies landing around my Berberis and I could put my finger tip up to ones head without it being troubled at all. I inspected more and the internal leaves were stripped off making the bush skeleton like.
I took this picture and Googled. Its a Berberis Sawfly. Not native to England. Turns out that in 2003 they were first seen on our south coast spreading northwards. I live 260 miles from the south coast. Probably brought in by somebody carrying a plant off a ferry. I had to notify an Ecology group of this sighting with my picture and date etc.
I read that the Sawfly Grubs can decimate a 10ft Berberis in 8 days.
Berberis Sawfly.
The leaves are about as big as a thumb nail.
I saw these tiny flies landing around my Berberis and I could put my finger tip up to ones head without it being troubled at all. I inspected more and the internal leaves were stripped off making the bush skeleton like.
I took this picture and Googled. Its a Berberis Sawfly. Not native to England. Turns out that in 2003 they were first seen on our south coast spreading northwards. I live 260 miles from the south coast. Probably brought in by somebody carrying a plant off a ferry. I had to notify an Ecology group of this sighting with my picture and date etc.
I read that the Sawfly Grubs can decimate a 10ft Berberis in 8 days.