Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly vs Wesmael's Brown Lacewing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly Wesmael's Brown Lacewing
Scientific Name Perga kirbyi Wesmaelius subnebulosus
Order Hymenoptera Neuroptera
Family Pergidae Hemerobiidae
Size 16-24 mm 10-16 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Australia Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly

A large, robustly built Australian sawfly with a bright scarlet to red-orange abdomen and dark head and thorax. Its spitfire larvae feed on eucalyptus in tight clusters.

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Did You Know?

Adult females demonstrate rare parental care for an insect by guarding their egg batch and early-instar larvae on the eucalyptus leaf.

Wesmael's Brown Lacewing

A medium-sized brown lacewing with subtly patterned wings found across Europe. Frequent in gardens and deciduous woodland.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the earliest lacewings to appear in spring, sometimes active as early as March.