Unidentified sawfly larvae on velvetleaf

Here's another note based on sorting unidentified sawfly larvae in the BG gallery by host plant, this time velvetleaf (Abutilon) and closely related members of the mallow family (Malvaceae). An alternate common name for velvetleaf is "Indian mallow". There were four images, three from Texas and one from West Virginia. The three images from Texas have been segregated in the BG gallery as "Unidentified Purple Sawfly Larvae". It is interesting to note that the specimen in the West Virginia image is also purple.

On Abutilon theophrasti, "Velvetleaf", in West Virginia

On Abutilon hulseanum, "Mauve", in Texas

On Allowissadula holosericea (=Abutilon marshii), "Chisos Mountain False Indian-mallow" or "Velvetleaf Mallow", in Texas

As with my notes for other species (listing in "See Also" section), I am providing these sorted images in hopes that Dr. Dave Smith or other experts will find them useful, possibly leading to identifications.

Contributed by John Pearson on 29 November, 2009 - 10:33pm
Last updated 5 December, 2009 - 10:50pm

Velvetleaf and Hibiscus note

Stephen Cresswell, photographer for the sawfly image at the top of the page, informed me that velvetleaf was very common in the area of his photo, so I have revised the text to remove the tentativeness of my initial ID of that species.

Also, I found another image in the "unidentified sawfly larvae" gallery of a sawfly larva on a Hibiscus plant:

… John Pearson, 5 December, 2009 - 8:13pm

Another mallow host

I came across another image of unidentified sawfly larvae in the BG gallery, this one on a different member of the mallow family, the "Lord Baltimore" cultivar of Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos):

Commenter suggested Hibiscus Sawfly (Atomacera decepta).

… John Pearson, 30 November, 2009 - 8:19pm

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by: