Re: Iris Bud Fly

Last year Ellen Gallagher wrote:

>         This pest known as the iris bud fly (Orthochaeta dissimilis)
> favors
>         beardless irises but will `use' bearded iris to deposit its
> larvae
>         if no beardless are handy.
>
>         "Once hatched, the larva eats its way around the inside of the
>
> flower and its preferred food seems to be pollen but it eats through
> style
> arms and standards, too so that when the flower finally opens
> the falls are usually intact but the standards, styles and anthers are
> all
> in a mess." taken from an article by Marty Schafer in the Iris Society
> of
> Massachusetts Newsletter - Spring 1996
>
>         Marty uses Cygon...so does Currier McEwen....to control the
> fly.
>
>         This pest was reported by the late Sarah Tiffney in
> Massachusetts
>         in 1978 and it appears to be increasing in Maine (according to
>
>         Currier's new book) and Ellen G. can attest to it being in
>         Northern New Hampshire....it has been reported as far south as
>
>         Virginia and it has also been identified in Western New York
> in
>         1994.
>
>                 I also have seen a yellow larva in a destroyed
> bud...don't know
>         what it was...I have written to Currier and will write to
> Marty.
>         Some of my Japanese buds are also targets...still don't use
> any
>         chemicals - supposedly, this larvae doesn't do damage to the
> plant
>         itself just the bud & flower but if one is involved with a
> hybri-
>         dizing program, the essential reproductive parts are
> destroyed.
>

Chris unfortunately reports occurrence of this problem again this year.
The blooms of a couple of nice Siberians have been damaged by this pest.
Interestingly, it seems by casual observation that the beardless I.
versicolor which also grows very nearby in this garden is infested the
worst. (possibly the center of the infestation). Any documented or other
association here? Siberians close by are infected but those further away
are not showing any signs of problem (yet).  At this point it is still
very early in the Siberian season for us.

Borer infection also appears to centralize around this plant. No sprays
applied this year... yet.

I would be quite interested if anyone has any further information or
experiences in this area.
--
Christopher Hollinshead
Mississauga, Ontario  Canada  zone6b
AIS(Region 16), CIS, SSI
Director-Canadian Iris Society
Newsletter Editor-Canadian Iris Society
e-mail:  cris@netcom.ca
CIS website:  http://www.netcom.ca/~cris/CIS.html
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