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Pack Forest
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July 10-12, 2009
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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps » Argid Sawflies (Argidae) » Arge » Birch Sawfly (Arge pectoralis)

Species Arge pectoralis - Birch Sawfly

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

Birch Sawfly - Arge pectoralis (Argidae) - Arge pectoralis

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps)

Family Argidae (Argid Sawflies)

Genus Arge

Species pectoralis (Birch Sawfly)

Other Common Names

Tenthrède du bouleau (French)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

First described in 1817 by William Elford Leach as Hylotoma pectoralis

Explanation of Names

pectoralis is Latin for "of or belonging to the breast". It's unclear what that has to do with this species

Size

Last instar larvae about 18 mm long (1)

Identification

Adult is said to be blue-black with white markings on legs (Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station). Images of specimens (Washington, D.C. biodiversity) show a sawfly with an all-orange body, dark wings and head. See photos for larvae.

Range

Northeastern United States, southern Canada

Season

Adults: June-July, larvae: July-September (1)

Life Cycle

Larvae feed on Birch, Betula species, also Hazelnut, Corylus, Alder, Alnus, and Willow, Salix. Female deposits eggs in slits cut in the margin of leaves. Overwinters as last-instar larva inside a cocoon spun on leaf litter (1).

Print References

Baker, p. 437--description (1)

Cranshaw, p. 84--photo (2)

Internet References

Forestry Images

Insects of Cedar Creek

Washington, D.C. biodiversity

Canadian Forest Service

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

North Carolina State University Entomology Collection--6 pinned

Zoological Miscellany v.3, p.124 Leach's original description of the species (in Latin)

Works Cited

1.	Eastern Forest Insects By Whiteford L. Baker

2.	Garden Insects of North America : The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs (Princeton Field Guides) By Whitney Cranshaw

Contributed by Cotinis on 15 August, 2006 - 11:14am
Additional contributions by Chuck Entz
Last updated 31 August, 2009 - 8:11am

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