06.26.09
Columbine Sawfly
I wondered why one of my columbine disappeared overnight, and why the other ones had almost no leaves. Thanks to this article from Garden Gate magazine, I discovered what was going on and how to fix the problem.
As the article says, handpicking the caterpillars, using soap spray, or products like Dipel dust that contain Bacillus thuringiensis will work well for any other moth or butterfly larvae. This includes critters such as the sawfly, White Cabbage Moth caterpillars (Pieris rapae) and Tomato hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata).
Now, I just need to figure out what is pooping on my Basil!