Cream Wave vs Woolly Alder Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cream Wave Woolly Alder Sawfly
Scientific Name Scopula floslactata Eriocampa ovata
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Geometridae Tenthredinidae
Size 24-28 mm wingspan 5-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Rivers & Streams
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe Europe, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cream Wave

A delicate cream-white moth with subtle cross-lines. Found in deciduous woodland and hedgerows. Larvae feed on dead leaves and withered vegetation.

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Did You Know?

One of several 'wave' moths that feed on dead leaves rather than living plant tissue.

Woolly Alder Sawfly

A small, dark sawfly whose larvae are covered in a white, woolly, waxy secretion. The larvae feed on the underside of alder leaves.

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Did You Know?

The white waxy covering on the larva closely resembles woolly aphids, a possible case of defensive mimicry.