Pine False Webworm vs Brown Locust

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Pine False Webworm Brown Locust
Scientific Name Acantholyda erythrocephala Locustana pardalina
Order Hymenoptera Orthoptera
Family Pamphiliidae Acrididae
Size 10-15 mm (adult) 30-45 mm
Habitat Farmland Heathland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, North America South Africa (Karoo region), Namibia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Pine False Webworm

An invasive European sawfly that defoliates pines in North America. Unlike typical sawflies, larvae are solitary and spin silk tubes on branches.

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Did You Know?

Larvae feed inside silken tubes spun among the needles, unlike the gregarious feeding of most pine sawflies.

Brown Locust

A medium-sized brown locust endemic to southern Africa that periodically swarms in the Karoo region. Nymphs are known as voetgangers (foot walkers).

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Did You Know?

Swarms of brown locusts have plagued South African farmers since the 1700s and remain a major agricultural threat.