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| Eriocampa juglandis | |
|---|---|
_-_Kitchener,_Ontario_01.jpg)
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| Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Symphyta |
| Family: | Tenthredinidae |
| Genus: | Eriocampa |
| Species: | E. juglandis
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| Binomial name | |
| Eriocampa juglandis Hartig, 1837
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| The historical range of the butternut tree, which E. juglandis lives alongside | |
Eriocampa juglandis, the butternut wooly worm, is a species of sawfly[1] that lives and feeds on butternuts, black walnuts and hickory.[2] It is in the Hymenoptera order, that of ants, wasps and bees. It will not sting human beings.[3]
Description
[edit]_-_Kitchener,_Ontario_02.jpg)
The young of this species is covered in white wool which is believed to protect it from predators. The adult is a flying insect with a sawtoothed ovipositor, giving the genus its common name.[4]
The larvae will grow to 0.87 inches (22 mm) long and the adult sawfly is 0.47 in (12 mm).[5]
Though the larva resembles a caterpillar, sawfly larvae have a pair of legs for every body segment, while caterpillars have a gap between some legs. Sawflies often curl up when disturbed.[4]
Reproduction
[edit]Females saw into the mid-rib of leaflets and deposit 20 to 30 eggs, one at a time, which eventually causes the leaflet to droop or fold and the midrib to turn pale. While small larvae chew random holes in leaves, larger ones may finish them off entirely, leaving bits of the larger veins behind.[3]
Larvae pupate in the soil in winter.[4]
Range
[edit]The range of this insect follows the historical range of the butternut tree through the northeast quadrant of North America,[4][3] including Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina,[5] and Wisconsin.[3]
The butternut woollyworm has a small presence in Milwaukee. Its populations can vary drastically from year to year, and it appears in mid-summer (in the North) when its host is fully leafed out, which lessens its impact.[3]
Impact is also lessened by the fact that there is only one generation each year. In Maryland, trees survive with some temporary cosmetic damage, and control is generally not needed.[6][7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Eriocampa juglandis wildspecies.ca". search.wildspecies.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ^ "Butternut Woolyworm on Black Walnut Trees". search.wildspecies.ca. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ^ a b c d e "Butternut Woolyworm (Family Tenthredinidae)". Field Station. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ^ a b c d "Butternut woollyworm: A unique summer pest of walnuts". Gardening in Michigan. 2014-10-31. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ^ a b "Butternut Woollyworm | NC State Extension Publications". content.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- ^ Bricault, Bob (2014-10-31). "Butternut woollyworm: A unique summer pest of walnuts". Gardening in Michigan. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
- ^ Malinoski, Mary (2017-07-24). "Butternut Woollyworm on Black Walnut Trees". Maryland Grows. Retrieved 2025-11-22.