Pear Fruit Sawfly vs Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pear Fruit Sawfly Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Hoplocampa brevis Perga polita
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Tenthredinidae Pergidae
Size 4-6 mm 14-20 mm
Habitat Orchards Woodlands
Diet Fruit Feeders Herbivores
Regions Europe Southeastern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Pear Fruit Sawfly

A small, dark sawfly that is a pest of pear orchards. Larvae bore into developing pear fruitlets, causing premature fruit drop.

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Did You Know?

Infested young pears often show a distinctive entry hole with wet frass, and a single larva may damage two to three fruits before completing development.

Gum-Tree Pergid Sawfly

A robust Australian sawfly with a dark, polished body. Its gregarious larvae cluster on eucalyptus branches and produce a strong eucalyptus odor when disturbed.

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Did You Know?

The powerful eucalyptus-oil smell released by disturbed larvae can be detected from several meters away and serves as a chemical defense.