At some point I'm going to have to try and identify what these little buggers are.  

Up until now I've relied on spotting and squishing them, and on the sometimes efficient various wasps and beloved jumping spiders (Salticidae) who patrol my trees.  Wasps will often paralyze caterpillars and use them to feed their larvae, but sometimes I think that some of my wasps wait until the caterpillars are large enough to make it worth their time.  Picky, picky.

Reinettes

Larry_G,

Thank you for your note.  I must admit that I don't like killing the larvae of moths or sawflies.  It's the whole quandary of human desire vs. insect desire.  I certainly love most insects and want them to get-on with life, just as I too want to get on with life and avoid external perturbation; but if the cute little larvae -- whether moth or sawfly -- are going to potentially defoliate my pear tree which has already set a fruit that I hope to eat some day, chances are I'm going to make a decision in my own favor.  Sad, isn't it?  From the time that naked apes emerged from the shadows and started trying to influence the landscape and plants and insects and other animals around them... things have rather gone askew.

I heard on the radio today that the global population of naked apes is now about 8 million.  [Mind-numbingly depressing.]  The carrying capacity of our planet for this uppity species was probably closer to, perhaps, 10 million at best.  

What's a poor naked ape to do in a world where everything is now thoroughly out-of-whack because of the very species that he belongs to?  Well, try to live lightly on our poor earth, and most importantly, develop a sense of humor based on the absurd.

Reinettes.

[A toast:  to all those naked apes who are trying to bring the planet back from the brink, by knowledge, empathy, and a genuine concern for our sole planet!]

...Umm,... Hello?  Hello?  Is this thing on?....

My wife, who was only mildly amused by the previous post, said that the little critter may be the "California pear sawfly" (Pristophora abbreviata).  After checking some reference books, it certainly looks to me like she's correct.  Of course I had to gripe about the fact that the "common name" said "California" when we clearly are not there, but I've been ranting about the inaccuracy of "common names" for at least 4 decades now.  [Hence, I try to give the Latin binomials where possible.]  Family:  Tenthredinidae.

Regrettably, I'll probably still have to eliminate those that look like they're too darn voracious to leave some semblance of leaf behind.

Alas and alack.

Reinettes