Poison Ivy Sawfly – Arge humeralis
Order Hymenoptera – Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies
Symphyta – Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps / Family Argidae
This species is a leaf miner of the poison ivy plant, Rhus radicans.
Sawfly Ovipositor (Dolerus nitens)
Sawflies get their name from the saw-like nature of their ovipositor. This female is using her saw to slit open blades of grass wherein she lays her eggs. It took me many attempts before I was able to capture this process. It is virtually impossible to tell what is going on while these creatures are laying eggs, it’s so quick, and the structures involved are so small.
This species is a leaf miner of the poison ivy plant, Rhus radicans. It is also a convincing mimic of braconid wasps. Unlike many hymenopterans, sawflies do not have stingers – their ovipositors developed into the eponymous sawlike device
There are 59 species of Argid sawflies in North America. They are most easily recognized as stout-bodied insects with three-segmented antennae; the third segment being very long. Many argid sawflies are black or dark colored, but a few have bright orange or red mimicking the coloration of the Braconid parasitic wasps.
Reference: Bruce Marlin, Bugguide.net Argid sawfly
Bees & Wasps Index | Bees & Wasps Main
Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & Spiders
Online since 2002
