Willow Shoot Sawfly vs Slave-Maker Ant

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Willow Shoot Sawfly Slave-Maker Ant
Scientific Name Janus cynosbati Temnothorax americanus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Cephidae Formicidae
Size 8-11 mm 2-3 mm
Habitat Hedgerows Farmland
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions North America Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Willow Shoot Sawfly

A slender, dark stem sawfly whose larvae bore into the shoots of willow and rose. Females cause distinctive wilting of shoot tips by girdling the stem.

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Did You Know?

The wilted, flagging shoot tips caused by this sawfly are often the most visible sign of its presence in wild rose thickets.

Slave-Maker Ant

A tiny North American slave-making ant that raids colonies of closely related Temnothorax species. Workers have saber-like mandibles used in raids. Enslaved workers eventually perform all domestic tasks while raiders focus solely on conducting new raids.

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Did You Know?

Enslaved Temnothorax workers sometimes rebel by destroying the slave-maker brood they are supposed to rear, reducing the raiding colony's future workforce.