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Conifer sawfly larva

Published at 2250 × 2153 in What’s Eating Your Pine Needles? Sawflies, Probably

Five-part image featuring larvae of various species of sawfly. Top left shows larvae that are light yellow-white in color with black spots. Middle left shows larvae that are medium green in color. Bottom left shows a larva that is white with a black stripe along the top of its body with black spots on its side below the stripe. Top right shows a larva, white in color with black spots, with head toward the viewer. Bottom right is closeup of a sawfly with dark black head toward the viewer, with a yellow-white body featuring black stripes.

Conifer sawflies are common herbivores throughout North America. Typically little more than a nuisance to individual trees, large outbreaks are capable of defoliating thousands of forested acres in a very short time. A new review in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management summarizes what we know about conifer sawflies in eastern North America, provides an identification key for larvae and summarizes management options for both managed and natural landscapes. Shown here is a sampling of sawfly larvae in the subfamily Diprioninae, including Neodiprion lecontei (A), N. compar (B), N. maurus (C), N. pinetum (D), and N. fabricii (E). (Photos by Ryan Ridenbaugh [A, D, and E] and Robin Bagley [B and C], originally published in Davis et al 2023, Journal of Integrated Pest Management)

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