Currant Stem Girdler vs Hockeria Chalcid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Currant Stem Girdler Hockeria Chalcid
Scientific Name Janus integer Hockeria unicolor
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cephidae Chalcididae
Size 8-11 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Underground Grasslands
Diet Omnivores Parasitoids
Regions North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Currant Stem Girdler

A slender black stem sawfly that attacks currant and gooseberry bushes. Females girdle the stem tips with their ovipositor, causing them to wilt.

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Did You Know?

The female girdles the stem above the egg insertion point, causing the tip to wilt and die, which provides the larva with softened stem tissue to feed on.

Hockeria Chalcid

A metallic dark parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of noctuid moths in the soil. It is found across Europe in grasslands and open habitats.

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Did You Know?

Females dig into the soil to find and parasitize cutworm moth pupae hidden several centimeters below the surface.