problem with bug in siberian iris buds

can anyone help me identify that bad little caterpillar creature that becomes evident as my siberians first open. some flowers open with webs and distorted and eaten petals, and i've seen a very small pale caterpillar which i assume is the culpret. who is this bug?? and what to do about it. I quickly pull that flower off, and have been very vigilant about cleaning the foliage to bare stubs in the fall for several seasons now, and it seems to help some. all garden books say that siberians are pest free....humpf! no one else seems to complain about this bug! I am hoping by understanding what it is, the life cycle and all, i can eliminate the problem without using strong chemicals- does any one else have these pests??

still hoping before leaf growth happens this spring, that there is a person who knows what this is and might know how to control it..... the damage happens while the buds are closed... its a sneeky thing

Heres the skinny from 2 reputable growers.
From NH
"Siberian iris is the snack of choice of the iris budfly - Orthacheta dissimilis"

From Saskatoon
A 'nibbler'. 'climbing cutworms' Jim goes out at night with a flashlight to catch them after dark.

So.... now we can all watch out for them. And on my lilies.
inanda

inanada- you were quite the sleuth! thanks so much- I'll try the flashlight!- they seem to bore a tiny hole into an imature bud..then its munch munch munch.. i suppose a lily could be quite tasty too. my standard irises as a rule don't get bothered, though once in a while they do. japanese iris do get attacked somewhat, but not as much as the siberians- well, i'm on the right track now!

Glad to help. Thats why I love DG. And now I'll have to watch for climbing cutworms. I've have NEVER heard of them before. Anybody else??

Worst thing about DG is.... far too many enablers. You know who you are.
inanda

I, too, have had a problem with a bug eating holes in my iris pods, along with holes in the iris flowers themselves. In my case, however, it is a small black weevil doing the damage - iris weevil, I presume. According to the only book in which I have seen the iris weevil mentioned, they reportedly prefer beardless irises. In my garden they attack both beardless and bearded. Since they lay their eggs inside of iris pods, they can be controlled by removing stalks after flowering to prevent the formation of pods at all. Darn weevils can't lay eggs in non-existent pods!

Laurie

who knows, i probably have those too! but i'm tracking them all down!

We had terrible weevils in Victoria. Had to use something systemic for it. Can't remember what it was. Do you want me to find out for you laurie or you prefer to go down your rows and pick off the spent blooms. You probably do that anyway so that you dont get bee pods.
inanda

Actually, Ginny, I rather enjoy squishing the little buggers with my fingers! They REALLY made me angry the first year they showed up here. I was so disgusted with the way they would chew holes through my iris flowers immediately upon opening that I finally started cutting a few stalks in bud of maiden bloomers and bringing them inside just so I could see the flowers without damage. Little did I know that the weevils were already INSIDE the bud sheaths eating away at the unfurled blooms! AARRGGHH!!!

That was when I went on the rampage and starting hunting the danged things in every bloom, killing them on sight. I got pretty good at it, too! After bloom was finished, I removed every spent stalk that had a pod forming so the weevils would have nowhere to propogate. The next year I had far fewer weevils, and they were easily controlled with hand picking. I do wish that the Merit I use for borers would control weevils, but it has no apparent effect on them, and I'm unwilling to use any stronger insecticides around my 4-legged family. So hand picking and pod removal it shall be for the weevils.

Laurie

i think it odd that i have never read about any of these creatures- except for iris borer- in books that talk about iris care. thanks both of you.