Barn Swallow Bug vs Elm Zigzag Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Barn Swallow Bug Elm Zigzag Sawfly
Scientific Name Oeciacus vicarius Aproceros leucopoda
Order Hemiptera Hymenoptera
Family Cimicidae Argidae
Size 3-4 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Blood Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America East Asia, invasive in Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Barn Swallow Bug

A cimicid ectoparasite of cliff swallows and barn swallows in North America. It can bite humans in buildings after swallow nests are abandoned.

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Did You Know?

Swallow colonies may abandon heavily infested nesting sites and relocate to parasite-free locations.

Elm Zigzag Sawfly

A small, pale green sawfly of East Asian origin that has become invasive in Europe. Larvae create distinctive zigzag feeding patterns on elm leaves.

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Did You Know?

This species reproduces entirely by parthenogenesis in its invasive range; males have never been found in Europe.