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Sawfly eggs, or hem stitching

Sawfly sp. (ova)

Photo by MartinL
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

Sawfly eggs. Sawflies are so named because they posess a modified ovipostitor to saw into a stem or leaf so as to lay her eggs into the plant tissue. http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-blog/jul-2012/bug-of-the-month-st…
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Showing_Large_Rose_Sawfly_eggs_o…

Habitat:

A row of long eggs placed neatly along the edge of a swamp gum in
local parkland

Notes:

The back of the leaf has minimal damage except some discoloration.

Here is another spotting associated with pointed tailed sawflies with similar eggs http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17004734

Paropsine leaf beetle eggs is questioned by this observation. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_leafbeetles/Paropsis.htm found along the edges of two eucalyptus leaves.

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (8)

Here is another possible ID? http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/17004734
That's great Martin. We were wondering about this a couple of weeks ago after watching a piece of video somewhere. I like the link with the underground pupal cell section - maybe the pale sides I am looking for.
Re named as sawfly eggs. http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-blog/jul-2012/bug-of-the-month-steel-blue-sawfly/
I was troubled with this ID because the eggs were under the leaf skin and different to the eggs that the beetle is laying. I have found another ID for this spotting - sawfly eggs. These are known to be laid into the leaf and is more likely to be accurate. See pic #3 http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-blog/jul-2012/bug-of-the-month-steel-blue-sawfly/
Nice find martin. Another piece of the puzzle.
Hey, I've finally stumbled upon the ID of these (apparently hatched) eggs. It's a paropsine leaf beetle. They also seem to be placed under the leaf skin membrane. http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_leafbeetles/images/DSC_8918.jpg http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_leafbeetles/Paropsis.htm
Fascinating ! - looks like whatever it is has separated the waxy coating from the upper epidermis to lodge its eggs? - for protection, perhaps. I like the rim of the leaf that has been left intact. Great spotting and photos, Martin.
A really interesting spot. Are you able to check on these later?
Photographed
PublishedFebruary 9, 2012

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