white pine sawfly larvae

0000005633 00000 n Fox-coloured sawfly (Neodiprion sertifer) is 7-9mm long and pale orange-brown. In the spring, female sawflies lay their eggs in the needles of pines. 0000004461 00000 n Sawfly’s Habitat. Jeffrey W. Dwyer, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. Now is the time to be a smart gardener by checking your pines for this pest. Adult sawflies emerge from the cocoon weeks, months, or even years later depending on the species. Eggs are laid in slits in the edge of needles. In other cases, entire branches will be without needles or only short stubs of needles will be left. Sawflies eat coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs. 0000028791 00000 n Larvae are hard to spot when they first hatch out. Fully-grown larvae drop from the needles to the ground and spin cocoons in the soil. Adult sawflies emerge from these cocoons in late August through late fall. xref It feeds primarily on white pine, but can be found on red, pitch, and mugo pines. ZHc�݆���Map�&��Ӗ��+�P�&X� However, a more sparse plant will be the result. 0 More information is available on Hort Answers, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The larvae of the introduced pine sawfly, an exotic defoliator insect, are greenish yellow in colour and have a double longitudinal stripe on the body. Filed under plants: 0000001069 00000 n Appearance: Larvae are pale yellow with black heads and have four rows of black spots from the head to the end of the abdomen. If an insecticide is applied, it is best done when larvae are hatching or very small to minimize damage. Sawfly females have a sawlike ovipositor, which they use to create slits or cuts in plant tissue. White pine sawfly may refer to two pine sawfly species, whose larvae feed on the white pine: Diprion similis ; Neodiprion pinetum; This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title White pine sawfly. The tunnels destroy the cambium and cause masses of resin, called pitch tubes, on the trunk of the tree. A Sawfly Larva Chew is Eating a Leaf . Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned. Control as soon after egg hatch as possible. It feeds primarily on white pine but will attack red, Mugo, and other short-needled pines. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In heavy populations, a pine may lose all of its needles from past years, leaving only the new growth. The sawfly female cuts small slits into needles where she deposits eight to 10 eggs per needle. Sometimes larvae do not drop from the tree but remain to spin their cocoons in the branches and needles of the tree. At first the small larvae eat only the outer layer of the needles. Written by James Schuster, retired Extension Educator, Horticulture & Plant Pathology, and reviewed by Dr.Philip L. Nixon, Extension Specialist-Entomology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Evergreen Trees & Shrubs. Eggs are then deposited in the slit. As larvae, which look similar to a worm or caterpillar, they eat young and tender leaves. Pine sawflies are insects in the genus Neodiprion or the genus Acantholyda that defoliate pines in Florida and throughout the South. Once feeding stops in the summer, the sawfly larvae will drop to the soil or move into crevices on the tree to build a papery cocoon to provide protection while they change over into adult sawflies. %PDF-1.6 %���� Life cycle: Adult females lay eggs in needles in the spring. One of nature’s unique creatures is the European pine sawfly. 0000000878 00000 n Scout now for this insect before larvae reach their full size and potential to damage pine trees. endstream endobj 5 0 obj?�\)~�}��=#�)/V 1>> endobj 6 0 obj<> endobj 7 0 obj<>/ColorSpace<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC]/ExtGState<>>>/Type/Page>> endobj 8 0 obj<> endobj 9 0 obj<> endobj 10 0 obj<> endobj 11 0 obj<> endobj 12 0 obj[/Separation/PANTONE#20375#202X#20CVC 13 0 R 20 0 R] endobj 13 0 obj[/CalRGB<>] endobj 14 0 obj[/Separation/PANTONE#20343#20CVC 13 0 R 21 0 R] endobj 15 0 obj<>stream Its life cycle is similar to the redheaded pine sawfly except that there is no second generation later in the growing season. Typical "straw"-like feeding damage done by redheaded pine sawfly (, Photo credit: Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, Bugwood.org, Photo credit: Donald Owen, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Bugwood.org, Photo credit: Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org, Photo credit: G. Keith Douce, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org. MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. The larvae are yellow- to cream-colored and have a deep black head. This is common when the ground is flooded. 0000001690 00000 n The White Pine Sawfly, (Neodiprion pinetum), is a pest in its larval form that feeds primarily on Eastern white pine but is known to also attack red, Mugo, and other short-needled pines. 0000001854 00000 n Bob Bricault, Michigan State University Extension - This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. It primarily attacks Eastern white pine, but will also attack other pines. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. This information is for educational purposes only. 0000001010 00000 n Adult pine sawfly (Diprion pini) are 10mm long brown winged insects, The larvae reach up to 25mm long and are pale green in colour with a brown head and black markings. 4 0 obj <> endobj Btk is effective against only the larvae of moths and butterflies. 0000002013 00000 n White pine sawfly, Neodiprion pinetum, has been noticed feeding on white pine, Pinus strobus, in northwestern Illinois. The heaviest feeding activity occurs in summer through early fall (July through September). Mice (eat the pupae) and diseases often cause the populations of this sawfly to crash. Failure to control the European Pine Sawfly insect is not usually fatal to the plant. Redheaded pine sawfly larvae have yellowish bodies with brown spots and orange heads. The Michigan State University Extension Garden and Landscape Hotline at 888-678-3464 takes many calls on sawflies feeding on pines each spring. Adult males are 3/16" to 1/4" long and black in color with feathery antennae. Larvae hatch from the eggs to eat the pine needles. They are pale yellow with black heads and have four rows of black spots from their head to their posterior end. The red-headed sawfly prefers longleaf and slash pine. White pine sawfly can be managed with pest-control materials such as acephate (Orthene), azadirachtin (Azatin/Ornazin), carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), and spinosad (Conserve). The female cuts an individual slit for each egg and can create 1 to 30 slits for eggs in one needle. When using a pesticide, it is best to spot-treat areas of infestation since they are often localized. For more information on a wide variety of smart gardening articles, or to find out about smart gardening classes and events, visit www.migarden.msu.edu. 0000000716 00000 n Check with your local land grant university (Cooperative) Extension Service for recommended insecticide. Eggs are then inserted into these slits, generally located on the edge of needles. Their sides are yellow and white and their heads are shiny black. Mature larvae are approximately 25 mm long. When the larvae hatch, they tunnel under the bark in an “S” pattern. MSU Enviro-weather lists the European pine sawfly as having already hatched across the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. However, sawfly larvae have more than five pairs of prolegs on the abdomen, which lacks the hooked spines (crochets) typical of caterpillars. 6��̻zx��|����Q�p�:�����N"�9��TxMC�G3HA��O��'����� �.