Brown Willow Beetle vs Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Brown Willow Beetle Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Galerucella lineola Perga kirbyi
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Chrysomelidae Pergidae
Size 4-6 mm 16-24 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Brown Willow Beetle

A small brown beetle that feeds on willow leaves and can cause significant defoliation. Has been used as a biological control agent for purple loosestrife in North America.

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Did You Know?

A close relative was deliberately introduced to North America as biological control for invasive purple loosestrife.

Scarlet-Bodied Pergid Sawfly

A large, robustly built Australian sawfly with a bright scarlet to red-orange abdomen and dark head and thorax. Its spitfire larvae feed on eucalyptus in tight clusters.

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Did You Know?

Adult females demonstrate rare parental care for an insect by guarding their egg batch and early-instar larvae on the eucalyptus leaf.