Wheat Stem Sawfly vs Pennsylvania Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Wheat Stem Sawfly Pennsylvania Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Cephus cinctus Harpalus pensylvanicus
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Cephidae Carabidae
Size 8-13 mm (adult) 13-17 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Wheat Stem Sawfly

A major pest of wheat and barley on the northern Great Plains of North America. Larvae bore inside stems, weakening them and causing lodging.

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Did You Know?

Larvae girdle the stem base before pupating, causing the stem to fall over at harvest.

Pennsylvania Ground Beetle

One of the most common ground beetles in North American croplands. It is an omnivorous species that feeds on both seeds and small insects.

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Did You Know?

Studies show it can consume enough weed seeds to significantly reduce weed emergence in crop fields.