Subject: Any ideas
Geographic location of the bug: Western Washington
Date: 05/07/2019
Time: 07:49 AM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: This bug was located by my daughter at her grandparents. I’ve never seen it and neither have they and they’ve lived there for 18 plus years. We became very curious to what it may be but can’t find it through our research.
How you want your letter signed: Curious Father
Dear Curious Father,
This is an Elm Sawfly, a non-stinging member of the Order Hymenoptera, a group that includes Bees and Wasps. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Master Gardener Program: “The adults of sawflies tend to be inconspicuous, and look somewhat like wasps, but do not sting. They feed on pollen and nectar, so may be seen on flowers as well as their larval host plants. They are not very active, making only short flights in sunny weather, and resting on leaves otherwise. Many sawfly species are parthenogenetic; since they do not need to mate to reproduce, males are very rare even in species where males are known to occur.”
Thank you so much for the reply. My daughter will be excited to learn what she found. You rock.