African Fruit Beetle vs Apple Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Fruit Beetle Apple Sawfly
Scientific Name Pachnoda sinuata Hoplocampa testudinea
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Tenthredinidae
Size 18-25 mm 6-7 mm
Habitat Gardens Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Southern Africa Europe, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Fruit Beetle

A common yellow and brown flower beetle frequently seen on ripe fruit. It is a familiar garden visitor across southern Africa.

💡

Did You Know?

They are sometimes considered orchard pests because large numbers can congregate on and damage ripe fruit crops.

Apple Sawfly

A small brown-and-yellow sawfly that is a significant pest of apple orchards. Larvae bore into developing apples, leaving characteristic ribbon-like scars on the fruit surface.

💡

Did You Know?

A single larva can destroy three to four developing fruits by boring through them, leaving a trail of frass-filled tunnels.