Dusty Cicada vs Black Headed Birch Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dusty Cicada Black Headed Birch Sawfly
Scientific Name Yanga pulverea Craesus alniastri
Order Hemiptera Hymenoptera
Family Cicadidae Tenthredinidae
Size 35-50 mm 7-9 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions Madagascar Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dusty Cicada

A medium to large cicada with a dusty gray-brown body and translucent wings bearing dark venation. It is one of the more commonly encountered cicadas in Madagascar.

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Did You Know?

Its species name 'pulverea' means dusty, referring to the fine powdery coating on its body that helps regulate temperature.

Black Headed Birch Sawfly

A medium-sized sawfly with a dark head and orange body. Larvae are greenish-blue with black heads and feed communally on birch and alder leaves.

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Did You Know?

When a predator approaches, the entire colony of larvae simultaneously rears up and thrashes, making the group appear larger and more threatening.