Silver Birch Web-Spinning Sawfly vs Green Tree Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Silver Birch Web-Spinning Sawfly Green Tree Ant
Scientific Name Pamphilius sylvaticus Oecophylla smaragdina subnitida
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Pamphiliidae Formicidae
Size 9-12 mm 5-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Northern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Silver Birch Web-Spinning Sawfly

A flat-bodied sawfly with long filiform antennae and a broad head. Larvae roll or fold birch leaves with silk and feed within the shelters.

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Did You Know?

The flattened body shape of pamphiliid sawflies is an adaptation that allows adults to squeeze into tight spaces in leaf litter and bark crevices.

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.

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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.