{"id":3417,"date":"2012-07-19T17:44:47","date_gmt":"2012-07-19T21:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/?page_id=3417"},"modified":"2026-01-22T13:30:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T18:30:39","slug":"elm-sawfly","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/fact-sheets\/common-name-listing\/elm-sawfly\/","title":{"rendered":"Elm Sawfly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <strong>Elm Sawfly<\/strong> <em>(Cimbex americana)<\/em> is quite a large species of sawfly (the largest in North America, in fact), with full-grown larvae ranging from 1.5 &#8211; 2&#8243; long.\u00a0 The larvae range in color from white \/ light gray or light yellow to light green, and have a middorsal (middle top) black stripe that runs the length of their body. There is also a row of black dots on each side of their body (these are the spiracles, a.k.a. breathing tubes), and the larvae often coil up into a circle when not feeding.\u00a0 Preferred host plants of the Elm Sawfly are elm and willow, but maple, cottonwood, poplar and birch are sometimes attacked as well.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 16%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-3417 gallery-columns-6 gallery-size-thumbnail'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009a.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009a-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Elm Sawfly larva next to a US nickel\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009a-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009a-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10558'>\n\t\t\t\tElm Sawfly (larval stage) (7\/27\/2009; Pittsfield, ME)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009b.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009b-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Elm Sawfly larva\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009b-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Elm-Sawfly-Pittsfield-ME-Late-July-2009b-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10559'>\n\t\t\t\tElm Sawfly (larval stage) (7\/27\/2009; Pittsfield, ME)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120a-Elizabeth-Mehr-in-Edgecomb-ME.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120a-Elizabeth-Mehr-in-Edgecomb-ME-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Elm Sawfly adult, resting on a pea plant\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10564\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120a-Elizabeth-Mehr-in-Edgecomb-ME-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120a-Elizabeth-Mehr-in-Edgecomb-ME-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10564'>\n\t\t\t\tElm Sawfly adult, resting on a pea plant (7\/1\/2020; Edgecomb, Maine) (Photo by E. Kerr)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120c.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"119\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2020\/07\/Cimbex-Americana-Sawfly-070120c-e1649885257446-150x119.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"Elm Sawfly adult, resting on a pea plant\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-10566\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-10566'>\n\t\t\t\tElm Sawfly adult (resembles a large wasp) (7\/1\/2020; Edgecomb, Maine) (Photo by E. Kerr)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/01\/Elm-Sawfly-RyanS-072119.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/01\/Elm-Sawfly-RyanS-072119-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"an Elm Sawfly adult (Cimbex americana) (Farmington, ME; 7\/21\/2019)\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-16101\" srcset=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/01\/Elm-Sawfly-RyanS-072119-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/01\/Elm-Sawfly-RyanS-072119-32x32.jpg 32w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-16101'>\n\t\t\t\tElm Sawfly adult (<i>Cimbex americana<\/i>) (Farmington, ME; 7\/21\/2019) (Photo courtesy of Ryan S)\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl>\n\t\t\t<br style='clear: both' \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>Sawfly adults are technically a type of wasp, but they are solitary and non-stinging.\u00a0 Their larvae strongly resemble caterpillars, but they have six or more pairs of prolegs on their abdomen (i.e. &#8220;abdominal prolegs&#8221;) whereas caterpillars have just five pairs or fewer.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Additional Information (with photos):<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/bioweb.uwlax.edu\/bio210\/s2012\/erdall_davi\/characteristics.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Elm Sawfly<\/strong><\/a> (BioWeb &#8212; University of Wisconsin System)<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.missouri.edu\/publications\/ipm1019\/15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Elm Sawfly<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>(University of Missouri Extension)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/bugguide.net\/node\/view\/37878\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Elm Sawfly<\/strong><\/a> (BugGuide.net)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Elm Sawfly (Cimbex americana) is quite a large species of sawfly (the largest in North America, in fact), with full-grown larvae ranging from 1.5 &#8211; 2&#8243; long.\u00a0 The larvae range in color from white \/ light gray or light yellow to light green, and have a middorsal (middle top) black stripe that runs the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"parent":1561,"menu_order":66,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3417","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Elm Sawfly - Home and Garden IPM from Cooperative Extension - University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/home-and-garden-ipm\/fact-sheets\/common-name-listing\/elm-sawfly\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Elm Sawfly - Home and Garden IPM from Cooperative Extension - University of Maine Cooperative Extension\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Elm Sawfly (Cimbex americana) is quite a large species of sawfly (the largest in North America, in fact), with full-grown larvae ranging from 1.5 &#8211; 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