The big confusion with
sawflies comes when looking at their immature form. It
looks like a caterpillar but it is NOT. This is a key to
understanding these critters and to determine how to
control them.
Caterpillars turn into
butterflies or moths. They have 3 pairs of true legs on
the thorax and up to 5 pairs of prolegs on their
abdomen.
Sawfly larvae turn into a type of fly. They also have 3
pairs of true legs on their thorax but they will have
six or more pairs of prolegs on their abdomen.
Some species of sawfly
feed on the entire surface of a leaf (or needle) while a
few are leaf miners and feed inside between the layers
of the leaf.
Adults may be colored
like wasps with yellow or black marking while some are
entirely black.
One of the more common
sawfly pests in the landscape is the
European pine
sawfly.
