Scarlet Oak Sawfly – Caliroa queruscoccineae
Scarlet Oak Sawfly – Caliroa queruscoccineae
Common Name: Scarlet Oak Sawfly
Latin Name: Caliroa queruscoccineae
Appearance:
The Scarlet Oak Sawfly indicates different traits across its various life stages:
The adult sawfly looks like a wasp and has a black body with red legs. They are small, growing to be about 0.2 to 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm) long, and have two sets of clear wings. When sawflies are larvae, they do the most damage. The caterpillars are social and have a unique look, with a yellowish-green body and black spots on it. Their head is also black. They can grow up to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long when they are fully grown.
Host Plant:
As its host plant, the Scarlet Oak Sawfly mostly goes after oak trees, especially red oaks. Scarlet oaks (Quercus coccinea) are especially likely to be hurt, but other types of oaks may also be harmed.
Territory:
The Scarlet Oak territory Sawflies often live in the eastern part of North America, where oak trees are common. They live in woods, wooded areas, and urban areas with oak trees because those places are good for their life cycle.
Damages caused by Scarlet Oak Sawfly:
It is when they are larvae that Scarlet Oak Sawflies do the most damage. The worms eat oak tree leaves like crazy, and they often eat whole leaves. Defoliation doesn’t usually hurt healthy trees, but heavy or repeated attacks can stress them out and make them more vulnerable to other natural stresses.
Life History and Habitat:
Life Cycle:
Scarlet Oak Sawflies go through a complete metamorphosis that includes egg, larval, pupal, and adult phases.
- Egg:On the underside of oak leaves, adult female sawflies lay eggs.
- Larva:Caterpillars hatch from eggs and feed on oak leaves in groups. They moult numerous times before reaching adulthood.
- Pupa:Fully mature caterpillars pupate in dirt or leaf litter.
- Adult:Adult sawflies emerge from pupae in the spring, continuing the cycle.