Double-banded Scoliid vs Black-Headed Ash Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Double-banded Scoliid	Black-Headed Ash Sawfly
Scientific Name	Scolia bicincta	Tethida barda
Order	Hymenoptera	Hymenoptera
Family	Scoliidae	Tenthredinidae
Size	15-22 mm	6-8 mm
Habitat	Gardens	Forests
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Herbivores
Regions	Eastern North America	Eastern North America
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Double-banded Scoliid

A robust black wasp with two prominent yellow bands across the abdomen. It is a beneficial garden insect that parasitizes scarab beetle grubs in lawns.

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Did You Know?

Gardeners often mistake it for a dangerous wasp, but it is actually a beneficial predator of lawn-destroying grubs.

Black-Headed Ash Sawfly

A small sawfly whose larvae have distinctive black heads and whitish-green bodies. They feed on the underside of ash leaflets, skeletonizing them.

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Did You Know?

This species is often mistaken for moth caterpillars, but like all sawfly larvae, it has more than five pairs of prolegs on its abdomen.