Arge pagana, Large Rose Sawfly

Common Name: Large Rose Sawfly

In Britain there are two species of large rose sawfly: Arge ochropus and Arge pagana (pictured above). The adult insects of both species have yellow abdomens; A. ochropus has legs and thorax mostly orange-yellow, the legs having black rings towards the feet. A. pagana is the more common species and has a completely black thorax and mostly black legs.

Rows of eggs are inserted into soft young rose shoots and female sawflies are sometimes seen dangling from such stems, attached only by their saw-like egg-laying organs. After hatching, the larvae feed together in family groups. They are pale green with black spots and yellow blotches, and are up to 25mm (about 1in) long.

A. pagana will produce two (sometimes three) generations from May to October whereas A. ochropus usually has a single generation in early summer, but sometimes there is a second generation in late summer.

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