Apple Sawfly vs South American Flower Weevil

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Apple Sawfly South American Flower Weevil
Scientific Name Hoplocampa testudinea Cholus cinctus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Curculionidae
Size 6-7 mm 15-25 mm
Habitat Orchards Forests
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Europe, introduced to North America South America (Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

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Did You Know?

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

South American Flower Weevil

A large, strikingly patterned weevil with a black body covered in brilliant turquoise and gold scale patterns. Its long, curved rostrum is used to bore into fruit and flower buds. It is one of the most visually striking weevils in the Neotropics.

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Did You Know?

Its brilliant turquoise scales have a crystalline nanostructure that produces color through photonic crystal effects rather than pigments.