Pterygophorus from Windellama
Workbook
Identification of Pterygophorinae sawfly larvae which have been reported by Penny Gullan and Roger Farrow to defoliate Melaleuca spp. on the Southern Tablelands.
At Penny and Peter Cranston’s property at Windellama, south east of Goulburn, they feed on Melaleuca armillaris and another Melaleuca sp. For many years, they have been inundated with larvae which seek out their deck when mature.
Roger reports widespread defoliation of Melaleuca parvistaminea by similar larvae along the Kings Highway at Scott Nature Reserve and Doughboy TSR and Sandy Point-Oallen Ford roads.
Windellama sawflies
Penny collected adult females at Windellama on 17th December, 2025. One of these is shown below (collection #PW073)
High resolution image of lancet of saw
Summary:
This female is a good match to Pterygophorus cinctus. There are only minor differences (colour of hind tibia, number of serrulae on saw teeth, exact number of antennomeres) to the description by Benson (1938) and to other specimens I have collected at Wonboyn and Bellingen.
It differs in key diagnostic features from other Pterygophorus spp. P. insignis, P. facielongus and P. turneri, as detailed on this notes page.
Penny plans to send me late stage larvae when they appear on their property.
Kings Highway sawflies
Roger photographed the larvae below defoliating Melaleuca parvistaminea at Scott Nature Reserve in April 2010. He notes that they appear identical to the larvae seen at Doughboy TSR in autumn 2025.
Roger sent me two larvae, shown below, which he collected at Doughboy TSR on 8th April 2025 (collection #PW074).
The following photos of adult sawflies were taken by Roger just east of Warri Bridge on the Kings Highway on 26th December 2025. They were ovipositing on fresh regrowth of Melaleuca parvistaminea. He has collected 5 specimens, 3 of which he will send to me, the other two will be deposited at ANIC.
References:
Benson, R.B. (1938) “A revision of the genus Pterygophorus Klug, sensu lato, with the description of two new genera (Hymenoptera, Symphyta)”. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 1: 610-625.
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.