Columbine Sawfly vs Pindarus Christmas Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Columbine Sawfly Pindarus Christmas Beetle
Scientific Name Pristiphora aquilegiae Anoplognathus pindarus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Scarabaeidae
Size 5-7 mm 18-22 mm
Habitat Gardens Forests
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, introduced to North America Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Columbine Sawfly

A small, dark sawfly whose pale green larvae feed on the leaves of columbine plants. Larvae can cause significant damage in flower gardens.

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Did You Know?

Larvae feed from the leaf edges inward and can reduce a columbine plant to bare stems and leaf ribs within days.

Pindarus Christmas Beetle

A medium-sized brown Christmas beetle with a distinctly punctured thorax. It is found in coastal and hinterland forests of New South Wales.

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Did You Know?

Like other Christmas beetles, its larvae can spend over a year developing underground before emerging.