Larch Sawfly vs Carpenter-Mimic Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Larch Sawfly Carpenter-Mimic Ant
Scientific Name Pristiphora erichsonii Camponotus chromaiodes
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Formicidae
Size 8-12 mm (adult) 6-13 mm
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America, Europe Eastern North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Larch Sawfly

The most important defoliator of larch in North America. Periodic outbreaks can last for years and cause significant growth reduction.

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Did You Know?

Indigenous peoples used outbreaks as a calendar marker, as they occurred with notable regularity.

Carpenter-Mimic Ant

A large bicolored carpenter ant with a bright red thorax and black head and gaster, common in eastern North American forests. Workers excavate galleries in dead wood and are primarily nocturnal foragers. They are often confused with C. pennsylvanicus.

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Did You Know?

They produce a distinctive alarm pheromone that smells like nail polish remover, detectable even by humans when a nest is disturbed.