Understanding Dogwood Sawflies and Their Host Plants

Dogwood sawflies are a type of insect that can be a nuisance to gardeners and tree enthusiasts. They are known to feed on the leaves of dogwood trees.

Dogwood sawflies are typically gray or brown in color and have a distinctive saw-like appearance to their bodies. They can grow up to 1 inch in length.

These insects are often found on dogwood trees that are stressed or damaged in some way. This can include trees that are experiencing drought or have been injured by disease or pests.

The female dogwood sawfly lays her eggs on the leaves of the dogwood tree, and the larvae that hatch from these eggs will feed on the leaves, causing damage.

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Dogwood sawflies are slender, shiny, black, wasp-like insects. They emerge from May to July, and females can insert up to 100 eggs in a leaf using a "saw-like" ovipositor.

Each egg causes a small bump that eventually turns brown, and immature dogwood sawflies are caterpillars that change colors, textures, and appearances several times during their development. They are covered in a white waxy covering at the second larval stage and are yellow and black at the last larval instar.

Young caterpillars skeletonize leaves, while older caterpillars eat everything but the midrib, eventually becoming pale cream color with black spots and growing to about an inch long.

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Dogwood sawflies are slender, shiny, black, wasp-like insects that emerge from May to July.

They are slender, shiny, black, wasp-like insects. Females insert up to 100 eggs in a leaf using a “saw-like” ovipositor.

Each egg causes a small bump that eventually turns brown. The second larval stage is covered in a white waxy covering.

The last larval instar is yellow and black. Young caterpillars skeletonize leaves.

Older caterpillars eat everything but the midrib. They eventually become pale cream color with black spots.

Mature caterpillars grow to about an inch long at which time they are yellow and black.

The dogwood sawfly is a pest that can cause damage to more than just dogwood trees. It can also bore into landscape timbers and other wooden objects in ground contact.

As the larvae of the dogwood sawfly chew out little chambers to spend the winter, they can cause significant damage to the surrounding wood. This can be a problem for homeowners who have wooden objects in their yard.

Sprays containing Sevin, cyfluthrin, or Malathion can be used to control dogwood sawfly infestations on dogwood trees. Applying residual insecticide, such as cyfluthrin, to the areas where the larvae are boring can also help control the damage to wood.

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Dogwood sawflies are quite particular about their food, and they seem to have a favorite menu item: dogwood plants. Various species of dogwoods are the only hosts for the dogwood sawfly, so if you have dogwood trees or shrubs in your garden, you might be more likely to attract these pests.

Dogwood sawflies can cause significant damage to their host plants, especially if they feed in groups. If you catch the infestation when the caterpillars are small, you can easily remove them by hand.

Dogwood sawflies have specific host plants that they seem to prefer. The only hosts for the dogwood sawfly are various species of dogwoods.

The dogwood sawfly is a common pest that can cause significant damage to dogwood trees. It's a wasp, not a caterpillar, and its larvae feed on the leaves of dogwood trees.

Sawfly larvae have chewing mouthparts that leave holes in the leaves, often creating a pattern of damage that can resemble a disease lesion. This damage can be extensive if the infestation is severe.

On a similar theme: Dogwood Tree Leaves Turning Brown

The female dogwood sawfly inserts her eggs into the leaf tissue in rows along the leaf veins, making them easy to spot. If you catch the infestation early, you can remove the larvae by hand.

If you notice the damage after the larvae have finished feeding, it's essential to look for the larvae before treating the tree. Insecticides labeled for sawfly control can be effective, but they need to be applied when the larvae are young.

The common name "Dogwood Sawfly" was officially assigned years ago, but it's actually a group of three species that feed on dogwood leaves in the eastern U.S.

These sawflies have one generation per season and are mid-season pests, which means they can cause significant damage to your dogwood plants.

Dogwood sawfly larvae are notorious for their ability to change their appearance as they molt from one instar stage to the next.

Newly hatched larvae look like small caterpillars, are amber in color, and are somewhat transparent, making them easy to miss.

The larvae emerge from their second molt covered with a white powdery material, which can help them blend in with their surroundings.

As the larvae mature, they consume the entire leaf, except the mid-vein, and can completely defoliate individual branches or entire plants.

The mature yellow and black larvae crawl from their host trees in search of overwintering sites, which can sometimes lead to misidentification.

These larvae may bore into softwood, like decaying wood, to produce an overwintering chamber, and can occasionally bore into redwood siding or outdoor furniture.