Nymphidium mantus vs Virginia Pine Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Nymphidium mantus Virginia Pine Sawfly
Scientific Name Nymphidium mantus Neodiprion pratti pratti
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Riodinidae Diprionidae
Size 28-35 mm wingspan 6-8 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions South America Southeastern United States
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Nymphidium mantus

White butterfly with dark wing edges resembling a tiny pierid. Caterpillars are tended by ants in a mutualistic relationship.

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Did You Know?

Larvae produce ant-attracting secretions and are guarded by aggressive ant colonies.

Virginia Pine Sawfly

A pine sawfly whose larvae are greenish-yellow with prominent dark stripes. It preferentially attacks Virginia pine and other hard pines in the southeastern United States.

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Did You Know?

This subspecies is restricted to Virginia pine, showing the host specificity that characterizes many Neodiprion sawfly taxa.