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Common pine sawfly
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Common pine sawfly
The common pine sawfly, Diprion pini, is a sawfly species in the family Diprionidae. The adult male is dark brown or black with comb-like antennae; the female is striped black and yellow. The female lays some 100–150 eggs on pine needles. The caterpillars are yellow-green, gregarious, and feed on pine needles. The next generation of adults can emerge from pupae the same year, or the pupae can go into diapause for a year or more. The species is widespread throughout Europe and Russia.
The insect is a serious pest of economic forestry, capable of defoliating large areas of pine forest. The Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, is the main host but other pine species are also attacked. Since the species grazes until late autumn, weakened trees often die in winter. Control involves aerial spraying of insecticides, or biological control with parasitoid wasps. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus.
The adult (imago) is 7–10 millimetres (0.28–0.39 in) long. The body is arched, with 26-segment antennae. The species is sexually dimorphic. The male is slightly smaller than the female, and has different coloration. Males are black-brown or black, with pectinate (comb-like) antennae. Females are pale yellow with dark markings, are more heavily built, and have saw-shaped antennae and a saw-shaped ovipositor (egg-laying tube). The adults do not feed, and live for just a few days. Males are haploid, females diploid (2N=28 chromosomes).
The eggs are about 1.4 millimetres (0.055 in) long, and are elongated and kidney-shaped.
The caterpillar larvae are pale yellow or yellow-green, with a brown head. There is a line along the 7 pairs of abdominal prolegs. The true legs are dark. Last-stage larvae can be up to 25 millimetres (0.98 in) long; the head is brown, while the body is light green with black spots.
The pupae broadly resemble the adults. Each pupa is housed in a cocoon 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) long, which is yellow-brown.
The species is an insect with complete metamorphosis, changing from a caterpillar larva via a pupal stage to a winged adult. There can be one or two generations in a year. In the far north, as in the north of Russia, adults appear in June–July. Further south, adults emerge in April–May and again in July–August, so it is possible to have larvae and adults at the same time. Females attract males with a sex pheromone; its main component is athreo-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol.
Eggs are laid in rows in springtime, with 3–20 eggs in a group over around 10 pine needles, in grooves cut by the female on pine needles from the previous year. Eggs laid in summer can be on either old or new needles. A female can lay some 100–150 eggs. The eggs take 14–21 days to hatch.
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Common pine sawfly
The common pine sawfly, Diprion pini, is a sawfly species in the family Diprionidae. The adult male is dark brown or black with comb-like antennae; the female is striped black and yellow. The female lays some 100–150 eggs on pine needles. The caterpillars are yellow-green, gregarious, and feed on pine needles. The next generation of adults can emerge from pupae the same year, or the pupae can go into diapause for a year or more. The species is widespread throughout Europe and Russia.
The insect is a serious pest of economic forestry, capable of defoliating large areas of pine forest. The Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, is the main host but other pine species are also attacked. Since the species grazes until late autumn, weakened trees often die in winter. Control involves aerial spraying of insecticides, or biological control with parasitoid wasps. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus.
The adult (imago) is 7–10 millimetres (0.28–0.39 in) long. The body is arched, with 26-segment antennae. The species is sexually dimorphic. The male is slightly smaller than the female, and has different coloration. Males are black-brown or black, with pectinate (comb-like) antennae. Females are pale yellow with dark markings, are more heavily built, and have saw-shaped antennae and a saw-shaped ovipositor (egg-laying tube). The adults do not feed, and live for just a few days. Males are haploid, females diploid (2N=28 chromosomes).
The eggs are about 1.4 millimetres (0.055 in) long, and are elongated and kidney-shaped.
The caterpillar larvae are pale yellow or yellow-green, with a brown head. There is a line along the 7 pairs of abdominal prolegs. The true legs are dark. Last-stage larvae can be up to 25 millimetres (0.98 in) long; the head is brown, while the body is light green with black spots.
The pupae broadly resemble the adults. Each pupa is housed in a cocoon 8–12 millimetres (0.31–0.47 in) long, which is yellow-brown.
The species is an insect with complete metamorphosis, changing from a caterpillar larva via a pupal stage to a winged adult. There can be one or two generations in a year. In the far north, as in the north of Russia, adults appear in June–July. Further south, adults emerge in April–May and again in July–August, so it is possible to have larvae and adults at the same time. Females attract males with a sex pheromone; its main component is athreo-3,7-dimethyl-2-tridecanol.
Eggs are laid in rows in springtime, with 3–20 eggs in a group over around 10 pine needles, in grooves cut by the female on pine needles from the previous year. Eggs laid in summer can be on either old or new needles. A female can lay some 100–150 eggs. The eggs take 14–21 days to hatch.
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