\~(oOO y/rts lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 3" Slbfl 044^ E135 Ml&UY .OKI L't! Lu. U-U LllLlLL^IU LL Forest Health Fact Sheet FOREST PEST MANAGEMENT GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION CONIFER SAWFLIES RECE,VEU 2 DEC. 1 1994 INTRODUCTION DOCUMENTS Conifer sawflies are a unique group of defoliating insects. Eleven species are described in this fact sheet and most are generally distributed throughout the south wherever the preferred hosts grow. The larvae consume the needles and feeding preferences are peculiar to each species. Most all of the sawflies feed on old and current year foliage at some point in their development. Some species have one generation per year with defoliation occurring in the spring and others produce three or more generations with defoliation occurring on into fall. Fall defoliation has a greater impact on trees and it is for this reason that sawflies having multiple generations are considered more devastating. Sawfly adults resemble large house flies but are actually broad- waisted wasps. The females are equipped with an ovipositor that is serrated which enables them to saw little slits in the needles where eggs are laid; thus the name ,! "sawflies. It's important for foresters to recognize sawflies and the damage they do. Defoliation by sawflies is spo- radic, occurring in localized or regionwide outbreaks lasting one or more years. Growth loss the year following a severe defo- liation (> 75%) can average over 50 percent and mortality increases due to secondary inva- sion by bark beetles and pine sawyers. The red-headed pine sawfly is the most widely distributed species in the south and is usu- ally the species responsible for regionwide outbreaks covering several states. It is capable of producing 3 or more generations per year in the south. Management practices have been developed to reduce the severity of sawflies and they should be considered before planting. Although most of the southern conifers are adaptable to a wide range of site conditions, it is always advisable to match the tree species to sites favoring that species. The management suggestions that may reduce the severity of sawflies in the south are: Consider herbicides to reduce hardwood competition. Avoid planting on wet or dry soils. Avoid sites below an index of 65. Monitor plantations frequently for sawfly damage. Most infestations begin on the edges of stands or are localized in a portion of the stand. Control with insecticides is most effective at this stage. For more information about GFC sawflies contact your local office or call toll-free 1-800-GATREES scribed as either spring or summer feeders. The spring sawjlics are present in early spring and may he found feeding into the summer, i he summerfeeding sawflies are present from spring until the first hard freeze. Thefollowing descriptions and distribution infonnation is general in nature and some variations may occur depending upon the species. Host descriptions are limited to southern species and those noted in parenthesis are rarely, or occasionally \ed on. The following drawings were done by Randall Blackburn, formally with the Smithsonian Institute. Washington, D. C. 20560. Bill Hoffard, an entomologist with the U.S. Forest Service, FPM reviewed the fact sheet for southwide distribution. Spotted Loblolly Pine Sawfly Neodiprion taedae taedae Distinctive Markings: greenish -white, red-brown head, a dull gray-green stripe on each side of body, a row of black spots just above the midline, two black blotches on top of tenth bodv segment Hosts: loblolly and shortleaf Present: Spring to July Distribution: North Carolina, Eastern Virginia, (scattered in southeast) Virginia Pine Sawfly Neodiprion pratti pratti Distinctive Markings: black head, body spotted or marked with longitudinal black stripes Hosts: Virginia and shortleaf pines Present: Spring to July Distribution: North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee White Pine Sawfly Neodiprion pinetum Distinctive Markings: pale yellow with 4 row-- ol black - Hosts: eastern white pine Present: Spring to July Slash Pine Sawfly Neodiprion merkeli Distinctive Markings: reddish above the eyes and sooty black below the eyes, brown stripes and two widely separated black semi-oval spots near tail end Hosts: slash pine Present: Spnngto December Distribution: Georgia, Florida .^sippi '"*v Hetrick's Sawfly Neodiprion hetricki Distinctive Markings: black head and black subdorsal and lateral stripes, (Florida specimen are pale green with laintstnpes, head is pale amber and bears a yellow triangular spot with a large pentagonal marking Hosts: observed feeding on loblolly, pond and longleaf Present: April to July Distribution: Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia Warren's Sawfly Neodiprion warreni Distinctive Markings: shiny black head, broad black Hosts: spruce and shortleaf pines subdorsal, lateral and sublateral stnpes Present: Spring to December Vl * Distribution: S.E. Arkansas to North Florida | | Blackheaded Pine Sawfly Neodiprion excitans Distinctive Markings: olive green, head is glossy black, Hosts: loblolly and shortleaf pines (Slash, two longitudinal black stripes on the side, with a row of Longleaf, Pond, Spruce and Sand Pines) -:' black spots on each side and a large black spot on the Present: Spring to December last body segment Distribution: Virginia to Florida and west to Arkansas and Texas (probably southwide) mm Red-Headed Pine Sawf ly Neodiprion lecontei Distinctive Markings: reddish head, yellowish- Hosts: shortleaf, loblolly, slash, longleaf, white body with six rows of black spots pitch, (eastern white pine, deodar cedar). Present:Spring to December (probably year- round in South Florida) :: Distribution: Eastern United States Abbott's Sawf ly Neodiprion abbottii --'" Distinctive Markings: brown to black head, thorax and abdomen pale green, four dark green to black lateral stnpes Hosts: loblolly, shortleaf, slash and longleaf Present: Spnng to December Distribution: Wisconsin to Flonda ^ Introduced Pine Sawfly Diprion similis Distinctive Markings: shiny black head, body has a double black strip bordered by yellow along the back; sides are dark and motted with numerous rounded yellow and white spots Hosts: eastern white pine (shortleaf and Virginia pines) Present: Spring to first freeze (December) Distribution: North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee Loblolly Pine Sawfly Neodiprion taedae Distinc tivi * ! n heavy black stripes 1 [osts loblolly and shortleal along each side and often two lighter stripes below Present Spring to July tlie heavier ones Distribution Arkansas, Louisiana, S.E Texas, I 1 Mississippi, South ( arolina, (Probably southwide) ? $ * ? ? * ? ** <$ ***