Pearslug – Pear Sawfly – Cherry Slug – Caliroa cerasi
Pearslug – Pear Sawfly – Cherry Slug – Caliroa cerasi
Common Name: Pearslug (Pear Sawfly, Cherry Slug)
Latin Name: Caliroa cerasi
Appearance:
The Pearslug looks like a slug as a pup but not a slug. Its body is shiny, dark green or black, and about 1 cm long. When it’s an adult sawfly, it looks like a tiny, black or brown wasp.
Host Plants:
Pearslugs primarily consume the leaves of different fruit trees, such as cherry and pears, and other plants belonging to the Rosaceae family.
Territory:
They are distributed across North America, especially in areas where their host plants are grown.
Damages caused by Pearslug:
The Pearslug’s larvae can do a lot of damage to the leaves of the plants they live on. They break down leaves into their bones for food, leaving only the veins behind. When infections are harmful, trees may lose their leaves, which makes them weaker and more likely to be damaged by other things.
Life History and Habits:
Egg Stage: A female Pear Sawfly lays eggs on the undersides of leaves to start her life cycle. These eggs are small and are often applied in groups.
Larval Stage: Once they hatch, the larvae, sometimes called Pearslugs or Cherry Slugs, eat the leaves of the mother plant like crazy.
Pupal Stage: When the pear slug larvae are fully grown, they fall to the ground and pupate in the dirt. They change into new forms inside the dirt, where they make cocoons.
Adult Stage: The adult Pear Sawflies emerge from the ground. They only live a short time, and their main job is to reproduce. To start a new generation, the females lay eggs on host plants.
The Pearslug, also called the Pear Sawfly or Cherry Slug (Caliroa cerasi), goes through four main stages in its life. The female starts by putting groups of small eggs on the undersides of leaves. When they hatch, the larvae, often called pearslugs or cherry slugs, eat the leaves of host plants like crazy. When fully grown, they go to the ground to make cocoons that cover them while they pupate. The changing process takes place inside these cocoons. When the adult Pear Sawflies emerge from the ground, they aim to reproduce. A new generation starts when the females lay eggs on host plants. This short life cycle shows the most essential stages in the growth of this sawfly species.