Genus Neodiprion

Neodiprion Rohwer 1918

35 spp. in our area(1)(2)

Most spp. are of economic importance(1)

Two species of egg parasitoids attack and emerge from the egg. Larval, eonymphal and cocoon parasitoids are the primary parasitoids and emerge from cocoons in the spring.(3)

Larval parasitoids:

Perilampus oviposits on foliage, active first instars and planida hatch and wait for a passing sawfly larva onto which they climb, bore into the host and become endoparasitoids. Spathimeigenia injects first instar maggots into feeding sawfly hosts where they become endoparasitoids. Olesicampe attacks early instar larvae. Lamachus attack later instar larvae. All these larval parasitoids are koinobionts because they do not interrupt feeding and development of host larvae but finally kill the host in spring before it pupates.(3)

Eonymphal parasitoid:

Exenterus lays eggs in the cuticle of the host before the sawfly leaves the tree and spins a cocoon. It hatches onto the surface of the host cocoon and feeds as an ectoparasitoid and a koinbiont.(3)

Cocoon parasitoids:

Pleolophus, Endasys, Mastrus, Gelis, and Agrothereute pierce the cocoon with long ovipositors injecting the host with venom that paralyzes it. Then they oviposit on the surface. Larvae feed ectroparasitically as idiobionts.(3)

Fact sheets: Dixon (2004-2011)[Cite:185010] | Nester (2004)(4) | Townsend (2010)(5)