Pine sawfly larvae on Lodgepole pine tree
The photograph is courtesy of the family of George Dey. George took many forestry photographs in his forestry career and many are now shown on this web site. Check under ‘Groups’ and George Dey Collection.
Good image of a colony of larvae of the European Pine Sawfly (Neodiptrion sertifer) advancing up a pine shoot having eaten the previous year’s growth. This insect usually does not cause very serious damage to the tree crop. Heavy attacks can kill the odd tree but more usually the defoliation slows the growth rates of large areas and takes longer for the canopy to close over.
The larvae if disturbed have the habit of simultaneously raising their heads and upper bodies creating quite a surge movement in a large colony and may deter some birds.
Download Large Version (457kB)
Groups: Animal, Insect, Plant and Fungal species in forestry, George Dey Forestry Collection