Paul WhitingtonBatch 6, to Perga page

Perga dorsalis (Perginae) PW100

Paul WhitingtonBatch 6, to Perga page
Perga dorsalis (Perginae) PW100

Workbook

I provide here a detailed description of an adult female sawfly reared from a batch of larvae collected in our forest.
This female shows a diagnostic feature - the morphology and arrangement of hairs on the sawsheath - which identifies it as Perga dorsalis, separating it from Perga affinis.
DNA barcoding of the COI gene carried out by Erinn Fagan-Jeffries shows a 6.7% difference in sequence between this specimen and published sequences for Perga affinis, confirming their species separation.

Rearing of adult female from larvae collected at home, October 9th

On October 9th 2025 a large cluster (at least 20) of larvae was found in an upper branch of a juvenile eucalypt (probably E. globoidea), just behind the biolytix irrigation area. They were around 5cm long and a distinctive grey colour.

They were collected as an intact clump on their day-roost branch and transferred to a metal cage with dead leaf litter in the bottom. See this page for details of rearing of these larvae.

The first adult eclosed from the pupae developing from this clutch of larvae on 17th February 2026 - see iNaturalist observation. Collection number #PW100. Pupal duration = 107 days.

Images of living insect

Featured
P2170017-2.jpg
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living
Read more →
female, #PW100, living
P2170018-2.jpg
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living
Read more →
female, #PW100, living
P2170033-2.jpg
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living
Read more →
female, #PW100, living
P2170021-2.jpg
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living
Read more →
female, #PW100, living
abdomen with green-black iridescence
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living

abdomen with green-black iridescence

Read more →
female, #PW100, living
P2170046.jpg
female, #PW100, living
female, #PW100, living
Read more →
female, #PW100, living

Images of euthanised insect

Featured
- orange antennae, longer than distance between insertions - black head, dorsal yellow patch on vertex - orange pronotum - shining black mesoscutum - smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum with small hind lobes - dorsum of abdomen shining greenish blac
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- orange antennae, longer than distance between insertions
- black head, dorsal yellow patch on vertex
- orange pronotum
- shining black mesoscutum
- smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum with small hind lobes
- dorsum of abdomen shining greenish black
- forewings pale brown hyaline
- hind femora dark orange, apex black on dorso-medial side
- hind tarsus shorter than hind tibia

Read more →
female, #PW100
- genae black with orange dorsal patch, pilose - clypeus and labrum orange - mandibles black and chestnut with tips black - pronotum dark yellow, pilose dorsally - mesepisternum black with large central pale yellow patch, moderately heavily punctate
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- genae black with orange dorsal patch, pilose
- clypeus and labrum orange
- mandibles black and chestnut with tips black
- pronotum dark yellow, pilose dorsally
- mesepisternum black with large central pale yellow patch, moderately heavily punctate
- mesepimeron black
- metepimeron white
- metepisternum black
- mesosternum shiny black, unpunctured
- lateral folds of terga, venter shiny green black, unpunctured
- abdomen with green-black iridescence
- sawsheath orange with pale yellow hairs, with considerable space between each hair, tips of hairs spoon-shaped
- saw (lance and lancet) dark orange
- coxa black basally, pale yellow apically
- all femora dark orange
- all tibiae orange

Read more →
female, #PW100
- antennal flagellum orange, scape black and orange, pedicel orange - inner orbits, genae black, strongly punctated - mesosternum, lateral folds of terga and venter shining black - sawsheath orange with pale yellow hairs - all coxae yellow with pale
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- antennal flagellum orange, scape black and orange, pedicel orange
- inner orbits, genae black, strongly punctated
- mesosternum, lateral folds of terga and venter shining black
- sawsheath orange with pale yellow hairs
- all coxae yellow with paler medial sides
- all femora orange with hind femora dark orange
- all tibiae and tarsi orange

Read more →
female, #PW100
P2170028-2-Edit-Pano.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
body length 22mm
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

body length 22mm

Read more →
female, #PW100
- hind ocelli closer together so that POL (distance between posterior ocell) is less than OOL (distance between ocellus and eye) - postocellar region is longer than its breadth in front, POL only about half as long as distance between hind ocellus a
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- hind ocelli closer together so that POL (distance between posterior ocell) is less than OOL (distance between ocellus and eye)
- postocellar region is longer than its breadth in front, POL only about half as long as distance between hind ocellus and hind margin of head

Read more →
female, #PW100
P2170010-3.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
- abdomen with green-black iridescence - hairs of sawsheath well spaced apart, tips of hairs spooned - saw-bench relatively short and broad - hind basitarsus about as long as next three tarsal segments together
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- abdomen with green-black iridescence
- hairs of sawsheath well spaced apart, tips of hairs spooned
- saw-bench relatively short and broad
- hind basitarsus about as long as next three tarsal segments together

Read more →
female, #PW100
lower genae with dense, short hairs
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

lower genae with dense, short hairs

Read more →
female, #PW100

Images of pinned insect

Featured
- wings yellowish-brown infuscate - vertex without small glabrous area at meson (=midline?)
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- wings yellowish-brown infuscate
- vertex without small glabrous area at meson (=midline?)

Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260009-2.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
- hind basitarsus about as long as the three following tarsal segments together - next to last tarsal segment clearly longer than broad - mesepimeron with a distinct pale patch - abdomen with green-black iridescence
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- hind basitarsus about as long as the three following tarsal segments together
- next to last tarsal segment clearly longer than broad
- mesepimeron with a distinct pale patch
- abdomen with green-black iridescence

Read more →
female, #PW100
- coxae black in part
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- coxae black in part

Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260042.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
flagellum much longer than front margin of clypeus
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

flagellum much longer than front margin of clypeus

Read more →
female, #PW100
- vertex without small glabrous area at meson (=midline?) - lower genae with dense, short hairs
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- vertex without small glabrous area at meson (=midline?)
- lower genae with dense, short hairs

Read more →
female, #PW100
- lower gena with dense, short hairs
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- lower gena with dense, short hairs

Read more →
female, #PW100
- hind ocelli closer together so that POL (distance between posterior ocell) is less than OOL (distance between ocellus and eye) - postocellar region is longer than its breadth in front, POL only about half as long as distance between hind ocellus a
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- hind ocelli closer together so that POL (distance between posterior ocell) is less than OOL (distance between ocellus and eye)
- postocellar region is longer than its breadth in front, POL only about half as long as distance between hind ocellus and hind margin of head
- lower genae with dense, short hairs

Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260041.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260040.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260039.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
P3260050-Edit.jpg
female, #PW100
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
sawsheath posterior view
female, #PW100
sawsheath posterior view
female, #PW100
Read more →
female, #PW100
- flattened “saw-bench” relatively short and broad, with seven or eight obvious longitudinal striae - hairs of ovipositor valves with a considerable margin between each hair, tips of hairs spooned - extreme apices of valves diverging when viewed fro
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

- flattened “saw-bench” relatively short and broad, with seven or eight obvious longitudinal striae
- hairs of ovipositor valves with a considerable margin between each hair, tips of hairs spooned
- extreme apices of valves diverging when viewed from beneath

Read more →
female, #PW100

Images of sawsheath

Sawsheath imaged at high magnification - shows sheath hair morphology described for Perga dorsalis (Benson, 1939; Riek, 1961)

Featured
sawsheath ventral view
female, #PW100
sawsheath ventral view
female, #PW100

- sawsheath hairs (bristles) widely spaced, spoon-shaped tips
- sawbench short and broad with 7-8 obvious striae

Read more →
female, #PW100
hairs of sawsheath well spaced apart, tips of hairs spooned
female, #PW100
female, #PW100

hairs of sawsheath well spaced apart, tips of hairs spooned

Read more →
female, #PW100
sawsheath in #PW043 Perga affinis ‍ ( iNaturalist observation , Chris Seager) - hairs on sawsheath are more closely spaced than in P. dorsalis and lack their spoon shape
female, #PW042
female, #PW042

sawsheath in #PW043 Perga affinis‍ (iNaturalist observation, Chris Seager)
- hairs on sawsheath are more closely spaced than in P. dorsalis and lack their spoon shape

Read more →
female, #PW042

DNA barcoding

Hind leg removed from this specimen, mailed to Erinn Fagan-Jeffries on 16/3/26 for DNA barcoding. COI sequence received on 12/11/26.

Comparison between sequence of this specimen (test1 - PW100) and female Perga affinis reared by Chris Seager from larvae collected at Mt. Barker SA (test2 - PW043) - see this notes page. 6.7% difference between these specimens, supporting species separation.

Whole pinned #PW100 specimen sent to BOLD on 9/10/2026 for DNA barcoding.

References:

Benson, R.B. 1939. “A revision of the Australian sawflies of the genus Perga Leach, sens. lat. (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)”. The Australian Zoologist 9: 324-357. “ Biodiversity Heritage Library link.

Carne, P.B. 1962. “The characteristics and behaviour of the saw-fly Perga affinis affinis (Hymenoptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 10: 1-34.

Riek, E. F. 1961. “The distribution and inter-relationships of Perga affinis Kirby and Perga dorsalis Leach (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)”. Proc. Linnean Soc. NSW 86, 237-240. Biodiversity Heritage Library link.

This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.