Flower Chafer vs Large Rose Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Flower Chafer Large Rose Sawfly
Scientific Name Oxythyrea funesta Arge pagana
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Argidae
Size 8-12 mm 7-10 mm (adult)
Habitat Gardens Gardens
Diet Pollen Feeders Herbivores
Regions Southern Europe, North Africa, Middle East Europe, Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Flower Chafer

A small black flower beetle dotted with white spots, widespread across southern Europe and North Africa. It can be found in large numbers on roses and other garden flowers.

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Did You Know?

Its Latin name funesta means mournful, referring to the black coloration dotted with white specks like a mourning garment.

Large Rose Sawfly

A conspicuous sawfly whose larvae skeletonize rose leaves in gardens and parks. Adults are stout and black with an orange abdomen.

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Did You Know?

Larvae curl into an S-shape when disturbed and drop from the leaf as a defense mechanism.