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Project Noah Nature School
Pterygophorus cinctus
Spotted last week as tiny, team-feeding larvae,
( http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/207... )
these sawflies are growing and molting regularly. It begins when they turn yellow in parts near the head. When the head is fully yellow it breaks out of the old skin head first, then curls back to wriggle the rest out. About 30 minutes later the animal is free and beginning to darken before starting another growth phase.
On callistemon leaves in a local school yard.
order: HYMENOPTERA
superfamily: TENTHREDINOIDEA
family: PERGIDAE
subfamily: Pterygophorinae
Distribution http://spatial.ala.org.au/?q=lsid:%22urn...
http://australianmuseum.net.au/sawflies
http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Sawfly/P...
Here is a fully molted version seen last year http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/227...
Spotted on Apr 4, 2014
Submitted on Apr 4, 2014
10 Comments
I think 5.
Nice! That is extremely interesting. How many growth phases does it go through before it fully matures?
Thanks Darren and Sukanya.
Amazing. Truly amazing.
Wow, amazing
Thanks Tiz and Leuba. Sometimes the camera works..
Fantastic photo and specimen! You really rock that camera of yours!!!
Great photos, Mark ! Love the first shot.
Thanks Luis. Sometimes they look a bit creepy but always interesting.
Great series Mark!