Black-Headed Ash Sawfly vs Lesser Leaf-Cutter Ant
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Black-Headed Ash Sawfly | Lesser Leaf-Cutter Ant |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Tethida barda | Acromyrmex octospinosus |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Tenthredinidae | Formicidae |
| Size | 6-8 mm | 2-10 mm |
| Habitat | Forests | Farmland |
| Diet | Herbivores | Fungus Feeders |
| Regions | Eastern North America | Central America, Caribbean, northern South America, Brazil |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Black-Headed Ash Sawfly
A small sawfly whose larvae have distinctive black heads and whitish-green bodies. They feed on the underside of ash leaflets, skeletonizing them.
Did You Know?
This species is often mistaken for moth caterpillars, but like all sawfly larvae, it has more than five pairs of prolegs on its abdomen.
Lesser Leaf-Cutter Ant
A smaller leaf-cutter ant species covered in spiny tubercles on its body. It forms more modest colonies than Atta but is equally dependent on fungal agriculture.
Did You Know?
Workers produce antibiotic compounds from bacteria on their bodies to protect their fungal gardens from parasitic molds.