Sawflies - Suborder Symphyta, family Pergidae
- Sawfly adult, body length 25mm
- Sawflies are closely related to wasps, bees and ants. They are grouped in the same insect order Hymenoptera. The common name 'Sawflies' is misleading. They are not flies. They got their common name because the female have their special egg-laying tool, like a saw, to cut through leaf tissue for their eggs. Adults look similar to wasps except they do not have the narrow 'waist'. Sawflies do not sting. They do not form the social organization like wasps, bees or ants, but their larvae do stay together for the defence.
- Sawfly larvae are sometimes seen on trees and shrubs, more commonly seen
than adults. Sawfly larvae are vegetarians and feed on
leaf. Unlike other members in the order Hymenoptera, Sawfly parents do not provide parental care to their young, except
they lay them on the suitable food plants and some species guard their eggs until they hatch. It is believe that the ancestor of hymenopterans, i.e., ants, wasps, and
bees, look
like the Sawflies. The larvae of Sawflies are look similar to the moths
or butterflies caterpillars but they have six or more pair of prolegs while
caterpillars usually have five pairs or less.
Adult sawflies do not sting. However, the larvae may secrete irritating liquid onto the skin or eyes if disturbed. - Sawflies are in the same order Hymenoptera as ants, bees and wasps. Those are placed in suborder Apocrita while Sawflies are placed in a suborder Symphyta. They are only a few families in the Sawfly suborder. Most sawflies found in Australia are in family Pergidae.
This page contains pictures and information about Sawflies that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
Subfamily Perginae
- Adults and larvae in Perginae are large in size. Larvae do not have the abdominal prolegs. They feed on Eucalyptus and Angophora and store Eucalyptus oil inside body used doe deference. They aggregate on leaves, branches or trunks by days, disperse and feed during the night. They pupate in soil and litter.
- Steel-blue Sawfly
- Perga dorsalis. Pergini, body length 25mm
- Due to some reasons, this sawfly was very slow moving. Pictures taken in Daisy Hill near Buhot Creek Dec 2008.
- 1. What wasp is that? - An interactive identification guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera, 2007.
- 2. Steel-blue sawflies - Australian Museum.
- Steel-blue Sawfly larvae feed on eucalypts.
- Brown Sawfly
- Pergagrapta sp. subfamily Perginae, body length 25mm
- We found this adult in Alexandra Hill during mid summer. It was resting on a small tree and ignoring our disturbance.
- Gum Tree Sawfly Larvae
- Perga sp., subfamily Perginae, length 25mm.
- Sawfly larvae in group, each 20mm. When disturbed, all caterpillars bend their bodies, i.e. pointing their tails outwards at the same time, will scare away most of the predators. They feed on the gum tree leaves, disperse at night and gather together during the day.
- Steel-blue Sawfly larvae are also known as 'spitfires' as they can eject an irritating fluid from their mouth. This defence method ensures predators avoid them. The above pictures show the larvae before and after disturbed.
- ? sp., body length 35mm
- Reference:
- 1. Pergidae of the World - An online catalogue of the sawfly family Pergidae (Symphyta), Zoologische Staatssammlung München, 2009.
- Sawfly Larvae and Tachinid Fly
- ? sp., larvae length 5mm
- The above pictures show a Tachinid Fly checking the sawfly larvae and about to lay eggs on the larvae. The white eggs of the fly will attach on the body of the larva. The egg hatches into maggot and bores into the body, develops inside and kill the larva.
- Sawfly Larvae
- Perga sp. subfamily Perginae, length 25mm
- Sawfly larvae are vegetarians and feed on leaf. During the evening they grouped together to rest, they help to avoid the predators. When disturbed (the second picture), they waved their tails together and usually will scare away the predator.
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- Pergagrapta sp.
- Pergagrapta sp.
- Pergagrapta sp.
- Pergagrapta sp.
- Pergagrapta sp.
- Pseudoperga sp.
- Sawfly Larva
- ? sp. , length 25mm.
- The larvae of Sawflies are look similar to the moths or butterflies caterpillars but they have six or more pair of prolegs while caterpillars usually have five pairs.
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Subfamily Pterygophorinae
- Sawflies in the Pterygophorinae subfamily are usually banded with bright colours, either orange and yellow, with darken wings. Some species males have comb-like antenna. Larvae in this subfamily feed on leaves of different native plants. They have six or more pairs of prolegs and a "tail" on the last segment.
- Lophyrotoma zonalis, adult body length 20mm, larva length 25mm
- This sawfly is dark blue in colour with orange spots on thorax and orange rings on abdomen. Its wings are dark blue as well. We found this sawfly active flying among young gum trees in Alexandra Hill in mid summer. The larva was found during mid summer in Alexandra Hill. Please also visit this page for more information and pictures.
- Leaf Blister Sawfly Larvae
- Sawfly Larvae feeding on gum tree leaf. The brown one found on the ground near the gum tree. Both are 30mm in length. When disturbed, they life up their black needle like tails.
- Lophyrotoma interrupta
- 1. Pergidae of the World - An online catalogue of the sawfly family Pergidae (Symphyta), Zoologische Staatssammlung München, 2009.
- Larvae feed on Eucalyptus and Angophora.
- Sawfly Larvae on Gum leaf
- Phylacteophaga sp., subfamily Phylacteophaginae, length 10mm to 30mm
- On a young gum tree, we found quite a lot of this sawfly larvae feeding on the leaves. They are group together when feeding. The larger larvae mixed with the small one, feed on leaf starting at the same edge until finished. When disturbed (2nd picture), they all raised their tails.
- From the above two pictures, we guess they raised their tails to mimic the hawk claws, which most of their predators will deadly afraid of.
- Females of Philomastiginae stand guard over eggs and young larvae. They buzz their wings and stridulate when disturbed. Philomastix sp. larvae have two "tails".
- Bramble Sawfly, Red Ash Sawfly
- Philomastix xanthophilus, adult body length 12mm, larva 20mm
- We found this group of sawfly larvae in early winter. They are pale green in colour. Their head is pale orange in colour. There are two tails at the end of their abdomen. On the stem of the same plant, we found two adult sawflies. We believed they are the larvae's parents, although we was not sure if they are one male one female or both females. The adults were pale brown in colour with long antenna. More information and pictures please click here.
- Tiphidae
- ? Philomastix sp., body length 20mm
- Picture was taken in Sinnamon Park Jan 2008 in the evening. The sawfly was resting on a leaf near the ground.
Subfamily Philomastiginae
Subfamily Styracotechyinae
- Sawfly Larvae
- Styracotechys dicelysma, body length 15mm
- Oct 2007, Yugarapul Park
- 1. Pergidae of the World - An online catalogue of the sawfly family Pergidae (Symphyta), Zoologische Staatssammlung München, 2009.
- Reference:
- 1. Northern Territory Insects, A Comprehensive Guide CD - Graham Brown, 2009.
- 2. What wasp is that? - An interactive identification guide to the Australasian families of Hymenoptera, 2007.
- 3. Pergidae of the World - An online catalogue of the sawfly family Pergidae (Symphyta), Zoologische Staatssammlung München, 2009.
- 4. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 931.
- 5. Family PERGIDAE - Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study.
