Ministry of Agriculture
Pear Sawfly (Pear Slug)
Caliroa cerasi (Linnaeus)
 |
 |
|
Pear sawfly larva feeding on pear leaf |
Pear leaves severely damaged by pear sawfly larvae |
Life Cycle: Overwinter as larvae in the soil and pupate in spring; adult sawflies emerge and lay eggs May-July. Second generation of adults appears in August and there may be a third generation in September. Two or three generations per year.
Monitoring: Inspect leaves for slug-like larvae or feeding damage.
Hosts: Pear, cherry, mountain ash, hawthorn.
Comments: Pear sawfly larvae (also called pear slugs) are dark olive-green to black in colour with a slimy, slug-like appearance. They feed on the upper leaf surface creating a scorched appearance to the tree. Adults are black sawflies, about 5mm long, that may be seen on the upper surfaces of leaves laying eggs.
Body length: Adult - 7.0mm; Mature larva- 11.0mm
| Previous | Index | Next |
