I watched this yellow female sawfly
capture and eat a small beetle. My camera
clock showed the entire process lasted 8
minutes; all that was left of the beetle was
bits 'n' pieces. Please select a thumbnail
for larger image.
|
Live adult sawfly photographed at West
Chicago Prairie, DuPage County IL. June 15,
2005. Size: 10mm. One of the ways sawflies differ from other
hymenopterans is that they do not have a
narrow waist. The "saw" in sawfly refers to
the saw-edged ovipositor (fig. 2) these
insects use to cut slits into foliage
wherein they lay eggs. |
Figure 2. Sawfly ovipositor,
Dolerus
nitens
