Last summer some sort of lavae was eating my dahlia stems from the inside. I've looked online but this issue doesn't seem to be listed under any of the common dahlia issues.
Any idea what this is and how to prevent it this year?
Chafer grub or something similar? I don't think they have back legs which yours seem to have though. They're mostly present in grass, but I don't know enough about them to say. They often eat dead material, so if it's that type of grub, it could just be capitalising on the already dead stuff.
@Al12345 that is a Cutworm. To prevent them from being able to attack your dahlias you need to make sure you clean up the detritus from around your plants and by tilling the soil around your plants as this is where the larvae live. Chemical controls are available. More info online.
Posts
They're mostly present in grass, but I don't know enough about them to say. They often eat dead material, so if it's that type of grub, it could just be capitalising on the already dead stuff.
I'll tag @wild edges and @steephill as they might be able to ID it.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...