Reddish Colored Sawfly Larva Covered in a Armored Blanket - Dimorphopteryx

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » "Symphyta" - Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps » Common Sawflies (Tenthredinidae) » Allantinae » Eriocampini » Dimorphopteryx

Photo#182713

Copyright © 2008 John Hartgerink

Reddish Colored Sawfly Larva Covered in a Armored Blanket - Dimorphopteryx

Baton Rouge - BREC Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, USA
May 14, 2008
Size: 5/8 to 3/4 inch long

I posted an earlier photo of this type of larva a few days ago.
It was ID'ed as a sawfly larva.
I looked thru lots of images but did not find a direct fit.
The picture I posted previously (of a different individual) did not show many of the details very well.
The horns and spikes are worth seeing (May have been used in the design of some dinosaurs?)
I went back and made some more photos.

A group of about 8 or 10 has been feeding on a red buckeye (aesclus pavia L.)bush/tree.
(Maybe some Ohio State Buckeye will know what this larva is since it eats their favorite tree.)
They eat all but the major veins of the leaves.

This is a later instar since their are many little cast aside "blankets" on the leaves.

Sometimes when disturbed, they suddenly wave the rear 3/4 of their body in the air.
A version of this is a common characteristic of sawfly larva.

John

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Reddish Colored Sawfly Larva Covered in a Armored Blanket - Dimorphopteryx

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Contributed by John Hartgerink on 15 May, 2008 - 5:18am
Last updated 21 October, 2009 - 11:39pm

Tenthredinidae, Allantinae

Definitely a Dimorphopteryx larvae. I'm unable to identify these to species, however. Most interesting is the host plant. No members of this genus have been recorded from Aesculus; in fact, I don't know of any sawfly that has been recorded from the plant.
(same comment as for #182440)

… Dave Smith, 21 December, 2010 - 5:17pm

Thanks

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment.
Your comments add more depth to the learning.
Fun to recall this critter and the experience thru BugGuide.

John

… John Hartgerink, 21 December, 2010 - 8:28pm

Moved

Moved from Unidentified Sawfly Larvae.

… Charley Eiseman, 21 October, 2009 - 11:39pm

Moved

Moved from Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps.

… Beatriz Moisset, 6 October, 2008 - 1:58pm

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