Re: CULT:? identifying borers

Thanks Sandy.  I finally found something this afternoon that looks more
like the photos (off white, sort of striped with pink), is huge in
comparison, and it was chewing its way into the rhizome.  There were
several other very small wormy squirmy things in chewed up fans and
stalks, including some that were white with brown stripes on both ends,
with a solid dark brown band in the middle, and dark heads.  Plus some
things that I'm pretty sure were fly larvae (wee maggots).  So I suspect
that I was seeing both young borers and a bunch of other critters taking
advantage of the slimey mess and weakened plant.

Of the two clumps affected, one seems to have completely recovered from
the damage (an IMMORTALITY seedling).  The other (DUSKY CHALLENGER)
looks like it has been struck a mortal blow - roots dying even on parts
of the plant that I cleaned up earlier and seem to be borer free now.
But maybe it was farther along in damage before I realized what was
happening.

What an educational way to thin the irises <g>  I think I will go out
and cut open all the rotting stalks and see what other interesting fauna
I can find.

<Linda, it's not what I recognize as iris borer.  Dark brown head and
cream to pinkish cream body.  The size is right for a borer eating in
the fans though. Sandy Ives in Ottawa>

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
talk archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
photos archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>
online R&I <http://www.irisregister.com>

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