Oak Slug Sawfly vs North American Horntail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Oak Slug Sawfly North American Horntail
Scientific Name Caliroa quercuscoccineae Tremex columba
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Siricidae
Size 4-5 mm (adult) 25–50 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Wood Feeders
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Oak Slug Sawfly

A slug-like sawfly larva that skeletonizes oak leaves in North America. Severe infestations cause browning of the canopy by midsummer.

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Did You Know?

The slimy larval coating deters most predators except for a few specialized parasitoid wasps.

North American Horntail

A large horntail wasp found across eastern North America. It attacks dead and dying hardwood trees such as beech, maple, and elm.

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Did You Know?

The parasitoid wasp Megarhyssa macrurus uses its extremely long ovipositor to reach horntail larvae deep inside wood.