Dusky Birch Sawfly vs Large-legged Chalcid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dusky Birch Sawfly Large-legged Chalcid
Scientific Name Croesus latitarsus Chalcis myrifex
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Chalcididae
Size 8-10 mm 4-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Herbivores Parasitoids
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Dusky Birch Sawfly

A medium-sized sawfly with an orange abdomen and black head and thorax. Larvae are yellowish-green with dark spots and feed in rows along the edges of birch leaves.

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Did You Know?

The larvae feed in a distinctive edge-to-edge pattern, consuming the leaf blade while leaving the midrib intact like a fishbone.

Large-legged Chalcid

A parasitoid wasp with conspicuously thickened hind femora used to brace itself while ovipositing. It attacks the pupae of tachinid flies and various Lepidoptera.

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Did You Know?

Despite looking like it could jump powerfully, those thick hind legs are mainly used for gripping, not leaping.