Sue, I said in a post above that I find it strange too, gall midge is everywhere around italy, it could be almost impossible that italy is totally clear.

The supplier seems to know the pest. But didn't say anything about his plants. And I got my orders bare roots and no scapes two years ago.
It's kind of strange seeing gall midge now. Plants didn't flower much before this spring. My sister (she's in another city) has two fans of my DLs in pots and those are good.
I don't know if the ministry would be interested or not. Simply it's hard here to have a good relationship with authorities. But I may try.

Mayo, I have some that is middle late already flowering so I don't take this information for good. I sadi gall midge likes yellows but I found two affected buds on Little Show Stopper which is dark pink, Frank Smith that's orange. I can't remember the last
I agree, the numbers are not so high we can sacrifice some buds for now. I really hate it anyway.

@Mayo62 the big worm wasn't mine it's @seedfork that likes to play hard and shows his stuff

yes they were jumping and moving fast. Or maybe they were excited because of the camera and was pouting!

I have slugs here but I use a "poison" that's iron. It kills slugs and gives iron to the plants.

They looked to me more as though they were thrashing about from having their house opened up rather than jumping.

I saw one jumping from the bloom on the pavement, it's then when I decided to record a video. They are quite fast. I also sprayed them directly with calypso to see if they'd die immediately but not.

Yes, I didn't think that was a caterpillar, looked more like something related to an army worm.

Well at least that worm isn't one of these scary beetles.....


Broad necked root borer

Seedfork said:Yes, I didn't think that was a caterpillar, looked more like something related to an army worm.

It is a caterpillar, and an armyworm is a caterpillar. I'm not sure which one it is, if you'd like to know you could try the Insect and Bug ID forum. It somewhat resembles the southern armyworm and the yellow-striped armyworm but I'm not certain either is a match.

I am sure you are correct, I guess the term armyworm just makes it seem more like a worm than a caterpillar that will someday turn into a beautiful butterfly. I am guilty of looking at the "wormy" looking critters as thinking bad things, and the "caterpillar" looking ones as turning into beautiful butterflies . Each year I battle the tobacco hornworms, and tomato hornworms, but they also turn into large months. I suppose being the name includes the word worm, I tend to think of it as a worm. Wonder why they don't call them army caterpillars, and tomato and tobacco caterpillars?

The armyworm would be a moth too, same as the related cutworms. I've no idea why they call these caterpillars "worms". Maybe to indicate they're bad guys?

to show that there is always hope :

This flower opened today, on the same scape as those weird flowers which started this thread



Mayo

That's good Mayo! I have two blooms on Little Show Stopper that looks good. It was the plant with the infested bud I opened yesterday!

Great news, I hope both of you have good buds for the rest of the season, well not you two, personally, but your daylilies

Valerie
This morning I found other foour clearly affected buds (they had signs of rot outside) so I cut them and tossed them. It seems one plant is most affected.

Some people use a specific daylily that the midge seems to particularly like as a "trap" to attract them away from other daylilies, and then they destroy all its buds once they are infested. When you say you "toss" them, I hope it is in a way that kills the larvae immediately or at least prevents them from staying in your garden?

Sue, I cut the buds/blooms carefully, one hand holds the bloom so it doesn't fall on the ground, then I put them in a plastic bag and close it with a tight knot. Then the bags go into the bigger waste bag.

today the same seedling tried to make up for all the sorrow it gave me the last couple of days with 2 very nice flowers and 1 poly ...

I had thought about tossing it, as the colors 'run' in the rain, but now I think it's a keeper




flowers are 9" across and do véry well in full sun

What a difference from the 'alien' flowers it showed when affected with the gall midge!



Mayo

It's a beauty!