Asian Needle Ant vs Plum Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Asian Needle Ant Plum Sawfly
Scientific Name Brachyponera chinensis Hoplocampa flava
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Formicidae Tenthredinidae
Size 3-5 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Underground Orchards
Diet Omnivores Fruit Feeders
Regions East Asia, Eastern United States Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Asian Needle Ant

An invasive East Asian ant spreading through the southeastern US. Its sting causes anaphylaxis more frequently than native stinging ants.

💡

Did You Know?

It displaces native ant species including fire ants and Argentine ants in invaded habitats.

Plum Sawfly

A small, yellowish-brown sawfly that is a pest of plum orchards. Larvae bore into developing plum fruitlets, causing them to drop prematurely.

💡

Did You Know?

Larvae can be detected by their distinctive wet frass, which oozes from entry holes in young plum fruitlets.