Oak Slug Sawfly vs Unarmed Stick Insect

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Oak Slug Sawfly Unarmed Stick Insect
Scientific Name Caliroa quercuscoccineae Clitarchus tepaki
Order Hymenoptera Phasmatodea
Family Tenthredinidae Phasmatidae
Size 4-5 mm (adult) 6-9 cm
Habitat Woodlands Beaches & Coastal
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America New Zealand (Northland)
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.

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Did You Know?

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

Unarmed Stick Insect

A smooth-bodied stick insect endemic to the far north of New Zealand. It is slimmer than its relative Clitarchus hookeri.

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Did You Know?

It is restricted to the northernmost tip of New Zealand's North Island around Cape Reinga.