Cypress Sawfly vs Pine False Webworm

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cypress Sawfly Pine False Webworm
Scientific Name Monoctenus juniperi Acantholyda erythrocephala
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Diprionidae Pamphiliidae
Size 6-8 mm 10-15 mm (adult)
Habitat Gardens Farmland
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe, North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Cypress Sawfly

A small sawfly with pectinate antennae in males whose green larvae feed on juniper and cypress foliage. Heavy infestations can discolor and thin ornamental junipers.

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Did You Know?

This is one of the few diprionid sawflies that feeds on cupressaceous conifers rather than the more typical pine or spruce hosts.

Pine False Webworm

An invasive European sawfly that defoliates pines in North America. Unlike typical sawflies, larvae are solitary and spin silk tubes on branches.

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Did You Know?

Larvae feed inside silken tubes spun among the needles, unlike the gregarious feeding of most pine sawflies.