Cherry Webspinning Sawfly – Neurotoma fasciata

Cherry Webspinning Sawfly   Scientific Name:  Neurotoma fasciata Common Name:  Cherry webspinning sawfly Appearance:  Cherry webspinning sawfly is a brightly tainted sawfly, usually with a black body and yellow wings. The forewing is slightly wrinkled with a broad stigma and three pairs of bright yellow legs. The caterpillar-like larva is often dark-green with yellow protruding structures on its side and a black head. Host Plants or Food: Cherry webspinning sawfly feeds on members of the Rosaceae family, such as apples, cherries, peach, and almonds. Territory: Throughout North America, Europe, and Asia Mode of Damage:  They belong to the category of leaf miners, such that the larva spins a web around the leaves to make it into a roll. This provides them with a protective shelter to feed and keep away predators. Habits and Life History: Cherry webspinning sawflies are commonly found in fields with tall trees, feeding in groups. The female sawfly lays eggs on the underside of the leaves, in the centre along the midvein. After maturing, the eggs hatch into the larva, which feeds on the leaves until it is ready to become a pupa. It falls to the ground and burrows underground, where it stays dormant and overwinters as a pupa. Finally, it emerges in the spring as an adult, which again restarts the lifecycle. It produces only one generation per year.