Oak Slug Sawfly vs Featherwing Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Oak Slug Sawfly | Featherwing Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Caliroa quercuscoccineae | Scydosella musawasensis |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Tenthredinidae | Ptiliidae |
| Size | 4-5 mm (adult) | 0.325 mm |
| Habitat | Woodlands | Woodlands |
| Diet | Herbivores | Fungus Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Central America |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
Oak Slug Sawfly
A slug-like sawfly larva that skeletonizes oak leaves in North America. Severe infestations cause browning of the canopy by midsummer.
Did You Know?
The slimy larval coating deters most predators except for a few specialized parasitoid wasps.
Featherwing Beetle
The smallest known free-living (non-parasitic) insect at just 0.325 mm long. Discovered in Nicaragua in 1999, it feeds on spores of basidiomycete fungi in rotting wood.
Did You Know?
At 0.325 mm, this beetle is about the width of the period at the end of this sentence — yet it is a fully functional adult insect with complete organ systems.