Sunday 20 September 2009

Sawflies again

The first batches of Nematus pavidus larvae are almost full size now, so I suppose they'll soon be moving down the branches to overwinter.


The Campodorus females are still lurking, laying eggs when they get a chance, although I haven't seen any of the Mesochorus females for about a week, now. This shot shows full-size larvae with a Campodorus female in the centre of the leaf:



Notice a family resemblance? This is another sawfly larva that I find from time to time on either Bramble or Raspberry. No id, yet.

4 comments:

Gill said...

Wonderful shots, particularly that first one. Do they overwinter as larvae or pupae - and on the branches or the ground?

How many broods do they have - this must be at least the second isn't it?

Stuart said...

They overwinter in ground litter, some as pupae, others as pre-pupae.

This is the sole generation at this location, but in other locations I get 2 gens. I think it's because this place is cut to the ground every couple of years and it takes a while for the branches to get tall enough.

Tipperary Biodiversity said...

I think this sawfly might be Arge gracilicornis,I have found it on Bramble.

Regards John Fogarty.

Stuart said...

Yes, John, I'm sure it is: I posted an update last year on http://donegal-wildlife.blogspot.com/2010/10/update.html.

That's one of the problems with blogs: as time passes you learn more and older posts get out of date.

Btw, it's excellent to hear from someone else who is interested in Sawflies, etc. I thought I was ploughing a lonely furrow.