Violet Sawfly – Ametastegia pallipes

Violet Sawfly – Ametastegia Pallipes Scientific Name: Ametastegia Pallipes Common Name: Violet Sawfly Distribution: Originally from Europe to eastern Siberia, they were brought to North America from Europe and are now common in the United States and neighboring Canada. Host plants: Viola spp. (violets and pansies) Identification: The violet sawfly, or Ametastegia Pallipes, is a species of common sawfly belonging to the Tenthredinidae family. With the exception of Antarctica, all seven continents in the globe are home to the most diverse family, the Tenthredinidae. The term “common sawflies” refers to them. Their long, segmented antennae and cylindrical body are often what identify them. Other than that, there are different shapes, sizes, and colors. Identification of sawflies can be challenging due to the large number of species and the dearth of reputable online resources. However, I think that this white-legged, mostly black sawfly is the Violet Sawfly, or Ametastegia Pallipes.  As its name implies, this species is found on members of the Viola family and does not seem to be scarce. Ametastegia range in size from tiny to medium, measuring 5-8 mm in length. They are primarily black in hue, yet occasionally the thorax and abdomen include sclerites that are orange or have a light tint. Life Cycle: Ametastegia deposits its eggs along a vein on the underside of leaves. A. glabrata larvae have bright green dorsal stripes and pale longitudinal stripes. Other species’ larvae are not as well-known. Large circular holes are left by the juvenile larvae as they eat alone on the underside of the leaf. When they reach maturity, the prepupae look for a suitable plant media to burrow in and form a cell. This might be a berry, a stem, a corn stalk, a berry cane’s pith, rotting wood, or even tree bark. Since the plant that produces the pupal cell is frequently not the larval host, it is referred to as a secondary host. Damage: The prepupae of A. glabrata, often known as the dock false-worm, have been seen to use apples as a secondary host to pupate, despite the fact that the larvae do not feed on fruit. This species is considered a pest due to the extent of damage done to apples. A. glabrata causes substantial harm to grape vines and raspberry canes in other parts of the world than North America.