Pine sawfly

Neodiprion spp.

42 host plants

Last updated

Data Maturity Baseline

This profile contains verified pest data from extension databases. Regional field notes and expert review are in progress.

You will find clusters of small caterpillar-like larvae with distinctive markings feeding on pine needles in spring and early summer. Damage appears as defoliated branch tips. Larvae feed openly in groups initially. Multiple overlapping generations may occur throughout the growing season. Young pines and heavily infested trees show obvious defoliation.

Hand-remove larval clusters when present on valuable young trees. Prune heavily defoliated branches. Encourage parasitic wasps and predatory insects by avoiding broad-spectrum sprays. Time applications for spring when first generation larvae are feeding. Most established pines tolerate defoliation. Maintain vigor through proper care. Monitor young plantings for population buildup.

Quick Reference

Order
Hymenoptera
Type
defoliator
Host Plants
42
What Damage Looks Like

Two types of sawfly are pestiferous in caneberry crops and cause two distinct types of damage. Onycholyda sitkensis larvae roll leaves and feed within the rolled leaves, which is inconsequential; the main concern is that they can be a contaminant in harvested fruit especially in mechanically harvested fields. Monophadnoides rubi larvae do not roll leaves but feed on leaves, leaving holes on leaf edges or between the leaf veins. Extensive feeding by Monophanoides larvae may skeletonize the...

Host Plants (42)

Pinus albicaulis Whitebark Pine, Scrub Pine, White Pine Pinus aristata Bristlecone Pine, Rocky Mountain Bristlecone Interior Bristlecone Pinus attenuata Knobcone Pine Pinus banksiana Jack Pine, Scrub Pine, Banksian Pine, Hudson Bay Pine Pinus bungeana Lacebark Pine, Whitebark Pine, Baipi Song Pinus canariensis Canary Island Pine Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine Pinus contorta Lodgepole Pine Pinus contorta var. contorta Shore Pine Pinus contorta var. latifolia Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Pinus coulteri Coulter Pine, Bigcone Pine Pinus densiflora Japanese Red Pine Pinus edulis Pinyon Pine, Piñón Pine, Two-needle Pinyon Colorado Pinyon Pinus elliottii Slash Pine, Swamp Pine Pinus flexilis Limber Pine, Rocky Mountain White Pine Pinus halepensis Aleppo Pine, Jerusalem Pine Pinus heldreichii Bosnian Pine, Snakeskin Pine Pinus jeffreyi Jeffrey Pine, Western Yellow Pine, Bull Pine Pinus kwangtungensis Kwangtung Pine, Guangdong Pine Pinus lambertiana Sugar Pine Pinus leucodermis Bosnian Pine Pinus monophylla Singleleaf Pinon Pine, One-leaved Pine Pinus monticola Western White Pine Pinus mugo Mugo Pine Pinus mugo var. pumilio Mugo pine, Dwarf Mugo pine Pinus nigra Austrian Pine Pinus parviflora Japanese White Pine Pinus parvifola Pinus parvifola Pinus pinaster Maritime Pine, Cluster Pine, Turpentine Pine Pinus pinea Italian Stone Pine, Umbrella Pine Pinus ponderosa Ponderosa Pine, Western Yellow Pine Pinus pumila Japanese Stone Pine, Dwarf Siberian Pine Pinus radiata Monterey Pine Pinus resinosa Red Pine Pinus sabiniana Gray Pine, Foothill Pine Pinus strobiformis Southwestern White Pine, Mexican White Pine, Chihuahua White Pine Pinus strobus Eastern White Pine Pinus sylvestris Scots Pine, Scotch Pine Pinus thunbergii Japanese Black Pine Pinus virginiana Virginia Pine, Scrub Pine, Jersey Pine Pinus wallichiana Himalayan Pine, Bhutan Pine Pinus yunnanensis Yunnan Pine