What’s this bug ?
Location: Vancouver BC
January 29, 2012 7:21 pm
Hello. At Christmas time I bought a Douglas fir and found a cocoon on it, which I housed in a jar. The cocoon opened today with this not-a-butterfly bug. 4 wings. 2 larger ones and 2 sort of smaller fairy wings on top. About an inch long. I was hoping that you could please help me identify it. I don’t know where the trees were grown. I tried to take some photos but he won’t sit still. He likes honey. The cocoon is in the photo. Thank you a lot !
Signature: Rhonda

Sawfly emerges from Cocoon

Dear Rhonda,
We are able to identify your insect as a Sawfly.  Sawflies are nonstinging relatives of bees and wasps that often have larvae that are mistaken for caterpillars.  Your individual most closely resembles the Cimbicid Sawflies (see BugGuide), possibly even the Elm Sawfly, though it looks more to us like a member of the genus Trichiosoma which we also found on BugGuide.  The Cimbicid Sawflies are the largest North American Sawflies and they have clubbed antennae like your individual, but the information we have found does not list Douglas Fir as a host plant for the larvae.  They feed on deciduous plants including elm, honeysuckle and cherry according to BugGuide.  We did do a search for Sawflies that feed on Douglas Fir and we found an Oregon State webpage devoted to members of the genus Neodiprion, called the Douglas Fir Sawflies or Balsam Fir Sawflies, however the images posted to BugGuide do not resemble your individual.  It is entirely possible that your Sawfly was feeding on another plant and somehow the cocoon was spun on the Douglas Fir.  The Forestry Images Website indicates of the genus Cimbex (and so possibly also other members of the family Cimbicidae) that “The larvae spin tough, papery cocoons in the litter or just below the surface of the soil.”  There is also a photo of the cocoon of a Cimbex Sawfly on the Forestry Images website that looks like your cocoon.

Sawfly emerges from Cocoon

We are hoping that one of our readers will eventually be able to assist us in a more definitive identification.

Cimbex Sawfly

Dear Daniel
Thank you so much for your help. I will do my best to keep him alive until the weather warms up. Too bad he doesn’t like roses or lettuce or anything else that’s lurking about in my fridge. He is quite an inquisitive little bug and checks out everything I give him.
Thanks again,
Rhonda

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Double antennae’d Diprionid!
Location: Central Illinois
December 3, 2011 8:04 pm
Hey there! I thought I’d send in some pics of a very interesting sawfly I found a couple months back, but only got to keying a couple weeks ago. Seems this little Diprionid has forked antennae! Really it only has two antennae, with only two scapes and pedicels, but four flegelli. Do you think this is normal for the species, or did I stumble upon a mutant? It’s got my entomology professor (and me!) baffled.
As always, loving the site! It really helped me stay motivated in my Entomology class. Thanks for all your work maintaining it!
Signature: Entomologist in Training

Fork-Horned Sawfly

Dear Entomologist in Training,
By far you have better qualifications to answer that question than our entire staff combined.  We will post your intriguing images and letter and we hope our readership can provide any information.

Fork-Horned Sawfly

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Mysterious White Caterpillars
Location: Southern New Hampshire
October 6, 2011 3:34 pm
We get these on our dogwood and ONLY our dogwood every early autumn. The seem to shed skins, curl into a ball and change colors to a yellow and blackish color. Then they seem to just disappear, leaving dark spots on the leaves where they were curled up.
Signature: TalulaJaneSmiles

Dogwood Sawfly

Dear TalulaJaneSmiles,
You have Dogwood Sawflies, Macremphytus tarsatus.  Though they resemble caterpillars, Sawflies are classified with the wasps and bees.  According to BugGuide:  “Young larvae are covered with a powdery white waxy coating. Mature larvae are yellow beneath with black spots or cross-stripes above.”  The University of Minnesota Entomology website has a very informative pdf on the Dogwood Sawfly and the Penn State Woody Ornamental Integrated Pest Management web page states:  “Dogwood Sawfly, Macremphytus tarsatus, is a significant pest to dogwood (Cornus) species. Because the Dogwood Sawfly takes on several forms while in the larval stage, it may not be easy to identify. Even the first instars can devour small portions of leaves, with groups of them producing a skeletonized appearance to the leaves. However, the larger final instar can consume entire leaves, leaving only the tougher leaf midribs.” 

big orange wasp?
Location: St. Charles, Missouri
September 29, 2011 4:34 pm
I saw this on the sidewalk today. It was about an inch and a half long. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the picture until after my mom stepped on it! Please help!?
Signature: Steve

Pigeon Horntail

Dear Steve,
We hope the reason your mom stepped on this harmless Pigeon Horntail is because she didn’t see it while she was walking, but we suspect otherwise, so we are tagging this as Unnecessary Carnage.  Pigeon Horntails are Wood Wasps and they do not sting.  The Pigeon Horntail was selected as our Bug of the Month for September 2011.