Craesus septentrionalis

Last updated

Craesus septentrionalis
Craesus septentrionalis1.jpg
Larvae on Betula pendula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Phylum:
Class:
Order:
Suborder:
Superfamily:
Family:
Subfamily:
Genus:
Species:
C. septentrionalis
Binomial name
Craesus septentrionalis
Synonyms
  • Tenthredo septentrionalis Linnaeus, 1758
  • Craesus stephensii Newman, 1837

Craesus septentrionalis, the flat-legged tenthred or birch sawfly, is a species of insect in the order Hymenoptera, the suborder Symphyta and the family Tenthredinidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The adult sawflies are black and brown with transparent wings and the larvae are yellowish-green and resemble caterpillars. The larvae feed on the leaves of various species of deciduous tree.

Contents

Description

An illustration from British Entomology by John Curtis Britishentomologyvolume3Plate17.jpg
An illustration from British Entomology by John Curtis

The adult Craesus septentrionalis has a black head, thorax and anterior part of the abdomen while the posterior part of the abdomen is chestnut brown. The wings are clear. The legs are broader near the feet than they are close to the body. The larva has a black head, yellow collar and greyish-green slender body with longitudinal rows of black spots. [2]

Ecology

Larvae rearing up defensively Craesus septentrionalis.jpg
Larvae rearing up defensively

This sawfly lays its eggs on a number of different host trees including alder, ash, birch, hazel, hornbeam, maple, poplar, rowan, wild service tree, whitebeam and willow. [1] The larvae stay together in groups and feed on the margins of leaves. When disturbed, they characteristically cling to the leaf with the front three pairs of legs and curl their bodies upward in a "S" shape. When the larvae are numerous, young trees may be completely defoliated. When mature, the larvae drop to the ground and pupate in the soil. There may be several generations of larvae between spring and autumn and the insect overwinters underground in the pupal state. [3]

The integument of the larvae is easily damaged and oozes hemolymph when it is injured. It is hypothesized that this contains harmful substances, possibly derived from the plant on which the larvae are feeding. The hemolymph was found to repel Myrmica rubra ants, however many vertebrate and invertebrate predators feed on the larvae. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luna moth</span> Species of insect

The Luna moth also known as the American moon moth is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly known as giant silk moths. It has lime-green colored wings and a white body. The larvae (caterpillars) are also green. Typically, it has a wingspan of roughly 114 mm (4.5 in), but can exceed 178 mm (7.0 in), making it one of the larger moths in North America. Across Canada, it has one generation per year, with the winged adults appearing in late May or early June, whereas farther south it will have two or even three generations per year, the first appearance as early as March in southern parts of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawfly</span> Suborder of insects

Sawflies are the insects of the suborder Symphyta within the order Hymenoptera, alongside ants, bees, and wasps. The common name comes from the saw-like appearance of the ovipositor, which the females use to cut into the plants where they lay their eggs. The name is associated especially with the Tenthredinoidea, by far the largest superfamily in the suborder, with about 7,000 known species; in the entire suborder, there are 8,000 described species in more than 800 genera. Symphyta is paraphyletic, consisting of several basal groups within the order Hymenoptera, each one rooted inside the previous group, ending with the Apocrita which are not sawflies.

The spitfire sawfly is a hymenopteran insect found in Australia. It is up to 22 mm long, has two pairs of wings, with a wingspan up to 40 mm, and its wings are honey colored. Its larvae are up to 80 mm long and somewhat resemble a caterpillar.

<i>Antheraea polyphemus</i> Species of moth

Antheraea polyphemus, the Polyphemus moth, is a North American member of the family Saturniidae, the giant silk moths. It is a tan-colored moth, with an average wingspan of 15 cm (6 in). The most notable feature of the moth is its large, purplish eyespots on its two hindwings. The eyespots give it its name – from the Greek myth of the cyclops Polyphemus. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1776. The species is widespread in continental North America, with local populations found throughout subarctic Canada and the United States. The caterpillar can eat 86,000 times its weight at emergence in a little less than two months.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birch leafminer</span> Name for a group of sawflies

Birch leafminers are sawflies, which are closely related to bees and wasps. They are among the most common insect pests affecting Birch trees in North America. Areas inside the leaves are consumed by the larvae, affecting the leaves' ability to produce food. Yearly browning of birch leaves are noticed in mid July and August, but the leafminers have been feeding inside the leaf tissue since early spring.

<i>Arge cyanocrocea</i> Species of sawfly

Arge cyanocrocea, the bramble sawfly, is a species of sawflies of the family Argidae, subfamily Arginae.

<i>Tenthredo scrophulariae</i> Species of sawfly

Tenthredo scrophulariae, the figwort sawfly is a species of the family Tenthredinidae, subfamily Tenthredininae.

<i>Euceraphis betulae</i> Species of true bug

Euceraphis betulae, the birch aphid or silver birch aphid, is a species of aphid in the order Hemiptera. It is a tiny green insect with a soft body and wings. It is found living on the European silver birch tree where it feeds and multiplies on the buds and leaves by sucking sap.

<i>Cimbex femoratus</i> Species of sawfly

Cimbex femoratus, the birch sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Cimbicidae.

<i>Abia sericea</i> Species of sawfly

Abia sericea, common name club horned sawfly or scabious sawfly, is a species of sawflies belonging to the family Cimbicidae.

<i>Rhogogaster punctulata</i> Species of sawfly

Rhogogaster punctulata is a species of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae.

Spruce sawflies are various sawfly species found in North America that feed on spruce. There are multiple species of sawflies known as spruce sawflies, including species in the genera Gilpinia, Pikonema, Pristiphora, and Cephalcia. Each kind of sawfly attacks particular parts of the spruce as larvae during different times of the year.

<i>Tenthredo arcuata</i> Species of sawfly

Tenthredo arcuata is a sawfly species of the family Tenthredinidae.

Tomostethus multicinctus, common name brownheaded ash sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae that is native to southern Canada and the eastern United States. Adults of this species resemble wasps and the larvae feed on the leaves of ash trees.

<i>Hemichroa crocea</i> Species of sawfly

Hemichroa crocea, the striped alder sawfly or banded alder sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. It is probably native in Europe and has been introduced to North America. The larvae feed on the foliage of several species of alder and sometimes on birch, hazel and willow.

<i>Nematus oligospilus</i> Species of sawfly

Nematus oligospilus, commonly known as the willow sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Native to central and northern Europe and Asia, it was first recorded in South America in the 1980s and New Zealand in 1997, and has also been introduced to Australia, South Africa and Lesotho. Its larvae feed on the leaves of various species of willow.

<i>Neodiprion lecontei</i> Species of sawfly

Neodiprion lecontei is a species of sawfly in the family Diprionidae native to eastern North America, commonly known as the red-headed pine sawfly or Leconte's sawfly. The larvae feed on the foliage of many species of native and imported pines. This species was named after John Lawrence LeConte, an American entomologist of the 19th century.

<i>Eriocampa ovata</i> Species of sawfly

Eriocampa ovata, known generally as the alder sawfly or woolly alder sawfly, is a species of common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. The larvae feed on the leaves of the common alder and the grey alder, sometimes causing defoliation.

<i>Rhogogaster viridis</i> Species of sawfly

Rhogogaster viridis is a species of common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae.

<i>Profenusa thomsoni</i> Species of sawfly

Profenusa thomsoni, the amber-marked birch leaf miner, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. It is native to the Palearctic realm but has spread to North America. The larvae feed on the foliage of birch trees.

References

  1. 1 2 "Craesus septentrionalis". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  2. "Craesus septentrionalis". NatureSpot: recording the wildlife of Leicestershire and Rutland. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
  3. David L. Clement; Mary Kay Malinoski. "IPM series: Birch trees". University of Maryland Extension. Retrieved 2014-11-21.
  4. Boevé, Jean-Luc; Schaffner, Urs (2003). "Why does the larval integument of some sawfly species disrupt so easily? The harmful hemolymph hypothesis". Oecologia. 134 (1): 104–111. doi:10.1007/s00442-002-1092-4.