Inchworm-like Critters Found in Dahlia Flowers are Budworms

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“Can you help me identify these critters?” asks this reader about the pink and purple worm-like organisms pictured below. “They move like inchworms and vary from about 0.5-1-inch when I’ve seen them.”

“In this photo, they’re happily eating the center of a dahlia, and that’s where I usually find them”, she continues.

“Eating dahlias, sunflowers, and possibly (invisibly) snapdragons, based on the lovely piles of worm poop they leave behind. They’re putting a serious damper on my cutting flowers because I’m tired of cleaning frass off my dinner table.”

“Step one seems to be identification, so any clues would be most welcome. I garden on the central coast of California. Thanks in advance!”

Based on the image alone, it is difficult for us to tell where the worms are in the photo, though we assume the pink and purple braid-like objects that are somewhat worm-like in appearance are the critters our reader is referring to.

Their beautiful, and very unusual, coloration threw us off. We could not think of any typical caterpillars that feed on flowers that look like this. That was until we remembered that green caterpillars can actually turn pink if they adopt a diet that is not consistent with what they usually eat.

Given this piece of information, in conjunction with the fact that the organisms our reader found are eating the centers of flowers, we concluded that these are likely some type of budworm.

Budworms are moth caterpillars, and there are several species of them. They are all characterized by how they eat a flower: starting from the center and working their way outwards. They have proven to be a nuisance for many gardeners and farmers (such as the tomato budworm), and are therefore considered pests.

When it comes to the caterpillars that are already on the plant, gently picking them off the flowers and moving them outside is the best way to go about eliminating the infestation.

The best way to prevent budworms from eating one’s flowers (that avoids using insecticides) is simply spraying them with soapy water: this makes the surface of the plant slippery, thus making it harder for the caterpillars to keep their grip on the plant as they feed.

Likewise, isolating flowers that are already infested from those that are not will help prevent the infestation from spreading.

To conclude, we think that the organisms our reader has been finding in her flowers are budworms, though what species in particular we are not sure. We hope this article helps, and we wish her the very best with ridding her flowers of these creatures!

 

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Summary
Inchworm-like Critters Found in Dahlia Flowers are Budworms
Article Name
Inchworm-like Critters Found in Dahlia Flowers are Budworms
Description
"Can you help me identify these critters?" asks this reader about the pink and purple worm-like organisms pictured below. "They move like inchworms and vary from about 0.5-1-inch when I’ve seen them."
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Author: Worm Researcher Anton

2 thoughts on “Inchworm-like Critters Found in Dahlia Flowers are Budworms

  1. I have exactly the same thing on almost exactly the same dahlia. I don’t know the tuber varietal but it has yellow centers with magenta tipped petals. It hasn’t shown up in any of my other varieties. Maybe it’s a color specific pest? ?

  2. Thank you! Yes, they are quite lovely, if only they weren’t slowly decimating the flowers :-D I will try a little soap on them.

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