Sawflies are generally described as either spring or summer feeders. The spring sawflies are present in early spring and may be found feeding into the summer. The summer feeding sawflies are present from spring until the first hard freeze. The following descriptions may help to identify species. Most of the larvae are about 1 inch in length and resemble caterpillars. The host(s) in parentheses are rarely, or only occasionally, fed on.
SPOTTED LOBLOLLY PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion taedae taedae) Markings: greenish-white, red-brown head, a dull gray-green stripe on each side of the body, a row of black spots just above the midline, two black blotches on top of tenth body segment
Host: loblolly and shortleaf pines
Present: Spring to July
VIRGINIA PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion pratti pratti) Markings: black head, body spotted or marked with longitudinal black stripes
Hosts: Virginia and shortleaf pines
Present: Spring to July
WHITE PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion pinetum) Markings: black head, pale yellow with 4 rows of black spots extending from head to a black spot at tail end of body
Hosts: eastern white pine
Present: Spring to July
SLASH PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion merkeli) Markings: reddish above the eyes and sooty black below the eyes, brown stripes and two widely separated black semi-oval spots near tail end
Hosts: slash pine
Present: Spring to heavy frost
HETRICK’S SAWFLY (Neodiprion hetricki) Markings: black head, black subdorsal and lateral stripes
Hosts: loblolly, pond, and longleaf pines
Present: April to July
WARREN’S SAWFLY (Neodiprion warreni) Markings: shiny black head, broad black subdorsal, lateral, and sublateral stripes
Hosts: spruce and shortleaf pines
Present: Spring to heavy frost
BLACKHEADED PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion excitans) Markings: olive green, head is glossy black with two longitudinal black stripes on the side, with a row of black spots on each side and a large black spot on the last body segment
Hosts: loblolly, longleaf, and shortleaf pines (spruce, slash, pond, and sand pines)
Present: Spring to heavy frost
REDHEADED PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion lecontei) Markings:reddish head, yellowish white body with six rows of black spots
Hosts: loblolly, slash, pitch, shortleaf, and longleaf pines (eastern white pine and deodar cedar)
Present: Spring to heavy frost
ABBOTT’S SAWFLY (Neodiprion abbottii) Markings: brown to black head, thorax and abdomen pale green, four dark green to black lateral stripes
Hosts: loblolly, slash, shortleaf, and longleaf pines
Present: Spring to heavy frost
INTRODUCED PINE SAWFLY (Diprion similis) Markings: Shiny black head, body has a double black stripe bordered by yellow along the back, sides are dark and mottled with numerous rounded yellow and white spots
Hosts: eastern white pine (Virginia and shortleaf pines)
Present: Spring to heavy frost
EUROPEAN PINE SAWFLY (Neodiprion sertifer) Markings: Black head, grayish-green and have a light stripe down the back, a light stripe along each side followed by a dark green stripe
Hosts: Scotch, red, jack, Austrian, Ponderosa, pitch, white, and Japanese and shortleaf pines
Present: Spring to mid-June
Organic Strategies
See Pine Sawflies.