Pear Slug Pear Sawfly

You will observe olive-green, slug-like larvae with slime coatings on pear, cherry, hawthorn, and mountain ash foliage from late spring through summer. The characteristic slime makes larvae resemble slugs rather than caterpillars. Larvae feed in groups and skeletonize leaves by consuming tissue between veins. Multiple generations overlap, creating successive waves of feeding damage.

Remove heavily infested leaves and prune defoliated branches. Hand-pick larvae when clustering is obvious. Encourage parasitic wasps that attack larvae. Time sprays for May when first generation is active and feeding densely. Dormant soil disturbance may reduce pupal survival. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides. Most trees recover from temporary defoliation. Maintain vigor through proper care.