Black-Headed Ash Sawfly vs Vapourer Moth

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black-Headed Ash Sawfly Vapourer Moth
Scientific Name Tethida barda Orgyia antiqua
Order Hymenoptera Lepidoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Erebidae
Size 6-8 mm 25-35 mm wingspan (males only)
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Europe, temperate Asia, North America
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.

Vapourer Moth

A moth in which males are russet-brown day-fliers while females are completely wingless and never leave their cocoon. Females lay eggs directly on their own pupal case.

💡

Did You Know?

The flightless female produces a powerful pheromone that attracts males from great distances to her cocoon.