European apple sawfly

Hoplocampa testudinea

1. Identification

• Common name: European apple sawfly
• Scientific name: Hoplocampa testudinea Klug
• Order: Hymenoptera
• Family: Tenthredinidae

2. Pest description

• Small adults (5–7 mm), yellowish-brown body.
• Transparent wings with venation typical of the Tenthredinidae.
• Whitish to light-green larvae, resembling small caterpillars.
• Larvae feed inside young fruits.
• Pupation in the soil, in resistant cocoons.

3. Main hosts

• Apple tree (main host).
• May occasionally affect other Malus. species
• Most frequent damage in orchards with high flowering intensity.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Perforations in young fruits shortly after petal fall.
• Fruits with internal galleries and gum exudation.
• Premature fruit drop (“wormy fruits”).
• Significant reduction in effective fruit set.
• More severe damage in years of abundant flowering.

5. Biological cycle

• One generation per year.
• Adults emerge in spring, coinciding with apple tree flowering.
• Oviposition in flowers or newly formed fruits.
• Larvae develop inside the fruits over 3–4 weeks.
• Pupation in the soil during summer and winter.
• Emergence synchronized with the start of the following flowering.

6. Monitoring

• Observation of flowers and young fruits after petal fall.
• Sampling of fruits to detect larval galleries.
• White or yellow traps to capture adults during flowering.
• Recording of flowering dates to predict adult emergence.
• Annual monitoring to assess risk and the need for intervention.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: shallow soil tillage in winter to expose pupae, removal of attacked fruits and proper canopy management to reduce favorable microclimates.
• Biological: conservation of natural enemies, application of entomopathogens in the soil and promotion of specific parasitoids when present.
• Integrated protection: monitoring during flowering, use of traps for early detection, treatments targeted only at the critical post-flowering moment and integration of cultural practices to reduce the annual population.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Hoplocampa spp..
• CABI Invasive Species Compendium – Hoplocampa testudinea.
• Blommers, L. H. M. et al. (2003). Biology and control of sawflies in pome fruits.
• Cross, J. V. et al. (1999). Pests of pome fruit in temperate regions.