08/20/2026
If you have Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens) in your garden and you have noticed it being defoliated seemingly overnight, you might blame the heat or not enough water. But at the shop gardens I found the culprit - sawflies (small insects that do not sting). Apparently Black Dalea serves as a host plant for them. The last photo shows where the eggs are laid. Larvae look like caterpillars, and they camouflage really well.