Walnut Husk Fly vs Social Pear Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Walnut Husk Fly Social Pear Sawfly
Scientific Name Rhagoletis completa Neurotoma saltuum
Order Diptera Hymenoptera
Family Tephritidae Pamphiliidae
Size 5-7 mm 10-12 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions North America, Southern Europe Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Walnut Husk Fly

A fruit fly whose larvae feed inside walnut husks, staining and damaging the nuts. It has become an invasive pest in European walnut-growing regions.

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Did You Know?

Larval feeding stains walnut shells black, making them unmarketable even though the nut inside may be fine.

Social Pear Sawfly

A broad-bodied sawfly with long antennae whose larvae spin communal webs on pear and other fruit trees. Multiple larvae feed together within the silk nest.

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Did You Know?

The larvae build elaborate communal silk nests that can envelope entire branch clusters, creating conspicuous webbed masses on fruit trees.