Lunar Ichneumon Wasp vs Yellow-shouldered Slug Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lunar Ichneumon Wasp Yellow-shouldered Slug Sawfly
Scientific Name Megarhyssa lunator Arge berberidis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Ichneumonidae Argidae
Size 30-50 mm body, ovipositor up to 130 mm 7-9 mm (adult)
Habitat Forests Gardens
Diet Nectar Feeders Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Lunar Ichneumon Wasp

A striking ichneumon with a yellow and brown banded body. It parasitizes pigeon tremex horntail larvae inside hardwood trees.

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Did You Know?

Its ovipositor is the longest relative to body size of any insect in North America.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Sawfly

A sawfly pest of barberry and mahonia shrubs, skeletonizing leaves in gardens. Larvae are slug-like and pale green with a dark head.

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Did You Know?

Two generations per year can completely strip barberry hedges of their foliage by late summer.