Figwort sawfly (larva)

Description:

This spotting is the larva. For the adult see: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/712... Is a sawfly from the order of the Hymenoptera (Hymenoptera). The old name is Tenthredo scrophulariae. The maximum length is about 11 to 14 millimeters. It looks like a wasp because of the predominantly black body, with clear bright yellow narrow cross bands, particularly on the back of the body. The legs are mostly yellow, only the first segment to the thorax is black. The leading edge of the wings and the antennae are, unlike wasps, more orange in color. The body is elongated in some form, and the typical thin waist os wasps is missing. They belong to a large family of many similar looking species. They Sawflies make no nest, so they are not considered "real wasps". In autumn the eggs are layed in leaves and then the first eggs overwinter and don´t hatch until spring. The Figwort sawfly wasp hunts and other small animals mature, the larva of the sawfly resembles a caterpillar to a butterfly and eat plants from the Figwort family. Like moth caterpillars they devour the leaves and sometimes cause large damage when in large numbers. The larvae are white with many small black dots, legs and back are more yellow, the head is black and shiny. When disturbed they take a typical S-shaped position.

Habitat:

Prairies here in Belgium.

Notes:

I was surprised to find the larvae in the late summer. They were in the little botanical garden from our department (KU Leuven).