Elm Leafminer vs Australian Paper Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Elm Leafminer Australian Paper Wasp
Scientific Name Fenusa ulmi Polistes humilis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Vespidae
Size 2.5-4 mm (adult) 15-20 mm
Habitat Woodlands Gardens
Diet Herbivores Predators
Regions Europe, North America Australia, Oceania
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Elm Leafminer

A sawfly whose larvae mine between the upper and lower surfaces of elm leaves. Mines appear as blotchy brown patches on foliage.

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Did You Know?

Each larva creates a single blotch mine that can expand to cover half the leaf.

Australian Paper Wasp

A common Australian paper wasp that builds small, open-celled papery nests under eaves, in shrubs, and other sheltered locations. It is a beneficial predator of caterpillars and other garden pests.

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Did You Know?

Paper wasps chew wood fibres mixed with saliva to create their distinctive papery nests, a form of natural paper-making.