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Callistemon sawfly (2)

Pterygophorus cinctus

Photo by Mark Ridgway
Published on Project Noah
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-37.8961, 145.314

Field Notes

Description:

Spotted last week as tiny, team-feeding larvae, <br> ( http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/207896142 ) <br> these sawflies are growing and molting regularly. It begins when they turn yellow in parts near the head. When the head is fully yellow it breaks out of the old skin head first, then curls back to wriggle the rest out. About 30 minutes later the animal is free and beginning to darken before starting another growth phase.

Habitat:

On callistemon leaves in a local school yard.

Notes:

order: HYMENOPTERA <br>
superfamily: TENTHREDINOIDEA <br>
family: PERGIDAE <br>
subfamily: Pterygophorinae <br>
Distribution http://spatial.ala.org.au/?q=lsid:%22urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.t… <br>
http://australianmuseum.net.au/sawflies <br>
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Sawfly/Pergidae%20family/.html <br>
Here is a fully molted version seen last year http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/22744008

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (10)

Nice! That is extremely interesting. How many growth phases does it go through before it fully matures?
Thanks Tiz and Leuba. Sometimes the camera works..
Fantastic photo and specimen! You really rock that camera of yours!!!
Thanks Luis. Sometimes they look a bit creepy but always interesting.

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