Arge ochropus

(Gmelin, 1790)

rose sawfly

Arge ochropus, commonly known as the rose , is a small sawfly in the . measure 7–10 mm in length and are active primarily in spring. The species is to the Palearctic region and has been to northeastern North America. feed on rose leaves, causing damage, while adults consume nectar and pollen from several flowering plants. The species produces two annually in temperate regions.

Argidae - Arge ochropus by Hectonichus. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.Arge ochropus 150679645 by Michel Langeveld. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.Rose Sawfly Arge ochropus^ Argidae - Flickr - gailhampshire by gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Arge ochropus: /ˈɑːrdʒi ˈɒkrəpəs/

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Identification

Distinguished from the similar Athalia rosae () by structure: Arge ochropus has three-segmented antennae with the third greatly elongated, whereas Athalia rosae has 10–11 antennal segments. Distinguished from Arge pagana by coloration: A. ochropus has reddish-orange and , while A. pagana is mainly black above.

Images

Habitat

Found in gardens, parks, and natural areas where roses (Rosa ) occur. frequent flowering plants including tansy, wild angelica, and hogweed.

Distribution

to Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Turkmenistan, Northern Iran, and Western Siberia to Lake Baikal. to the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada.

Seasonality

active from April to May. Two per year in temperate regions; present in spring and again later in summer.

Diet

feed on leaves of Rosa including Rosa canina, Rosa majalis, and Rosa pimpinellifolia. feed on nectar and pollen of Tanacetum vulgare (tansy), Angelica sylvestris (wild angelica), and Heracleum sphondylium (hogweed).

Life Cycle

Females lay 16–18 on rose stems. develop through several , feeding on rose leaves. occurs in soil. Two complete per year in most of range. stage not explicitly documented in sources.

Behavior

feed gregariously on rose foliage, producing damage by consuming tissue between leaf . visit flowers for nectar and pollen.

Ecological Role

; act as defoliators of wild and cultivated roses. Serves as for including and larvae.

Human Relevance

Considered a minor pest of ornamental roses in gardens. Larval feeding can cause significant aesthetic damage to rose foliage. Control through manual removal or targeted application of insecticidal soap or spinosad is effective.

Similar Taxa

  • Athalia rosaeSimilar appearance and shared rose-feeding habit; distinguished by 10–11 segmented versus three-segmented antennae in Arge ochropus
  • Arge paganaCongeneric with similar biology; distinguished by predominantly black coloration versus reddish-orange and in Arge ochropus
  • Endelomyia aethiops (Roseslug sawfly)Another rose-feeding causing similar damage; distinguished by different () and larval
  • Allantus cinctus (Curled rose sawfly)Rose-feeding with similar damage ; distinguished by larval curling and different ()

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Sources and further reading