Cristina's Timema vs Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cristina's Timema Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Timema cristinae Perga kirbyi
Order Phasmatodea Hymenoptera
Family Timematidae Pergidae
Size 2-2.5 cm 16-24 mm
Habitat Heathland Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions United States (Southern California) Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cristina's Timema

A small, stout walking stick from California that comes in green, striped, and melanistic forms. It is a major model species for studying speciation and adaptation.

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Did You Know?

Different color morphs are adapted to different host plants, providing a textbook example of natural selection in action.

Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly

A large, robustly built Australian sawfly with a bright scarlet to red-orange abdomen and dark head and thorax. Its spitfire larvae feed on eucalyptus in tight clusters.

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Did You Know?

Adult females demonstrate rare parental care for an insect by guarding their egg batch and early-instar larvae on the eucalyptus leaf.