Life cycle: They spend the winter as prepupae (the stage between a mature larva and a pupa) in the soil. Adults emerge and lay eggs on leaves in late June and July. Larvae hatch and feed for about one month, then drop to the soil to pupate.

Where do sawflies lay their eggs?

Adult sawflies lay small batches of eggs on the underside of leaves in late spring. When the larva hatch, they feed voraciously on the leaves for a while, before dropping to the soil and pupating around the base of the plant.

How long are sawfly larvae?

Sawfly caterpillar (larva) identification guide

Sawfly larvae come in a fascinating variety of shapes, colours and sizes – most ranging from 10-40mm in length.