Perga affinis
Spitfire Sawfly
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hymenoptera
Family
Pergidae
Genus
Perga
Species
Perga affinis
Colours
Distinguishing features
The adult has two pairs of honey-coloured wings.
Larvae resemble caterpillars. They start out lighter in colour and darken to black with whitish hairs in rings around their bodies as they mature.
Size
- Up to 8 cm (Length) - applies to Larvae
- Up to 2.2 cm (Length) - applies to Adult flying insect
Wingspan
- Up to 4 cm
Synonyms
Behaviour
When threatened the larvae will raise their head and eject a yellow-green liquid.
The aduls are found from about January to May, though mainly in autumn. Eggs are laid under the leaf surface with the saw-like ovipositor. The larvae are mainly active during late winter and spring and enter the soil to pupate usually in mid spring.
Pupation takes place in strong paper-like cocoons, which are often clustered several centimetres deep in the soil. The pupal stage may extend over two or three years before the adult emerges. (Wikipedia)
