Detailed information on Dogwood Sawfly (Macremphytus tarsatus)

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maineguide007

Standish, ME (Zone 5a) | August 2019 | Neutral

The larve have defoliated about 90% of my redosier Dogwood. I can see large numbers parasitic wasps in the tree as well. The larve must serve as a good host for the larval wasps. I'm told that migratory song birds will feast on the larve as well.

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Mitchella

Pownal, ME (Zone 5b) | July 2018 | Positive

I'm rating these positive because they are a native insect and part of the ecosystem. If there are a lot on a small garden dogwood (I have a small Pagoda Dogwood), I carefully remove them and transfer them to a large mass of wild Silky Dogwood nearby. Since I avoid killing native critters (ok, except mosquitoes and black flies!) I would leave them alone if there were no wild dogwoods on which to put them. Even a completely defoliated dogwood will come back fine the following spring, but I agree they're not too ornamental without any leaves!

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whaisname

Oyster Bay, NY | March 2013 | Negative

Found, also, on my Pagoda dogwood.

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kizilod

Cumberland, RI (Zone 6b) | September 2009 | Negative

I read that they don't do any lasting harm to the plant, but can bury into wooden siding, which may ultimately lead to woodpecker damage on your house.

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helco

Champaign, IL | September 2009 | Negative

I see them on yellow twig dogwoods as well. I'm told that they don't harm the plant, that they do only cosmetic damage, but they do plenty of that. They can be killed with a soapy spray (just plain dishwash liquid), but it's hard to get them all. They're generally to be found on the undersides of the leaves.

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claypa

West Pottsgrove, PA (Zone 6b) | August 2007 | Negative

A major insect pest to the various Dogwood trees and shrubs (Cornus). The adults look like wasps, and lay eggs on leaves in early summer. The larvae eat the leaves in late summer and go through several molts with radically different appearances. They spend the winter in decaying wood and emerge as adults in the spring.

I see them on C. sericea (Red Osier Dogwood); haven't noticed them on the trees but they're probably there too. Sawfly larvae always occur in numbers, never singly, but they're easy to remove if you find them. They just curl up and play dead. The later instars make a cottony substance on their skin.

Dogwood Sawfly

Macremphytus tarsatus

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