Viburnum Leaf Beetle vs Dock Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Viburnum Leaf Beetle Dock Sawfly
Scientific Name Pyrrhalta viburni Ametastegia glabrata
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Tenthredinidae
Size 4-6 mm 5-7 mm
Habitat Gardens Farmland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe (native), introduced to North America Europe, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Viburnum Leaf Beetle

A small, brownish-yellow beetle with dense pubescence that has become a serious invasive pest of ornamental viburnum shrubs. Larvae skeletonize leaves from the underside.

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Did You Know?

Females chew holes in twigs and deposit eggs inside, capping them with a mixture of excrement and chewed bark that hardens into a protective cover.

Dock Sawfly

A small, shiny dark green to black sawfly with pale legs. Larvae are pale green caterpillar-like grubs that feed on dock and sorrel leaves.

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Did You Know?

In North America, dock sawfly larvae sometimes bore into apples to pupate, making them a nuisance pest in orchards despite not actually feeding on the fruit.