Sawflies

A pair of mating Hibiscus Sawfly/Atomacera decepta. Well, maybe. They are on a hibiscus…. Sawflies are pretty hard to ID by photo.

And this, I suspect, is one their larvae, defoliating another Malvaceae family plant.

Sawflies are not flies; they’re akin to wasps. Note the two pairs of wings seen so well in the adult above (flies have one pair of wings). But unlike wasps, sawfly larvae are free-ranging. Sawfly larvae look a lot like caterpillars, the larvae of butterflies and moths, but have more prolegs.

Sawflies can be gregarious, ganging up on a plant…

FYI: My September Green-Wood insect walks have been scheduled for September 10 (general) and September 17 (family friendly, kid-orientated), although they’re not on the calendar yet.