California pear sawfly—Pristophora
abbreviata
Sawflies are wasps. Although they resemble moth caterpillars, sawfly larvae have more prolegs (one on
each body segment) and their bodies taper from the head to the tail end. They are bright green with light
brown heads and black eye spots. Larvae can be hard to spot as they position themselves within the holes
they make, eating in a circular fashion.
Life cycle
Damage
Sawfly larvae cut circular holes along leaf margins and within leaves during spring. Sometimes the entire
leaf is consumed except for the midrib. They do not feed on fruit.
Solutions
Trees can tolerate large numbers of sawflies without suffering much damage.
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California
pear sawfly larva
Typical
leaf damage caused by larva
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