Pale-Footed Birch Sawfly vs Green Tree Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pale-Footed Birch Sawfly Green Tree Ant
Scientific Name Profenusa thomsoni Oecophylla smaragdina subnitida
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Formicidae
Size 3-5 mm 5-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, introduced to North America Northern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pale-Footed Birch Sawfly

A tiny black sawfly whose larvae create distinctive blotch mines within birch leaves. Mined leaves develop brown, papery patches.

💡

Did You Know?

Heavy infestations can cause over 80 percent of birch leaves to become mined, giving trees a scorched appearance by late summer.

Green Tree Ant

An Australian subspecies of the Asian weaver ant with distinctive bright green coloring. Indigenous Australians have traditionally eaten them and used their nests for medicinal purposes.

💡

Did You Know?

They taste like lime or lemongrass due to their high formic acid content and are eaten as bush food in northern Australia.