Aproceros leucopoda

TaxID: 1385220

Basic Information

Aproceros leucopoda

Elm Zigzag Sawfly

Aproceros leucopoda, the elm zigzag sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Argidae native to eastern Asia in China and Japan. It is an invasive species in Europe since 2003, and North America since 2020. The larva is green, around 4 mm long at first, growing to 10 mm long when full grown, and feeds on elm (Ulmus) leaves. At first it eats a very distinctive zig-zag shaped cut into the leaves, from which the species' English name derives. As the larva grows over its 4 C7 instars, the feeding trace becomes less regular and less easily distinguished from other elm leaf feeding insects. The larva completes its growth in 2 C3 weeks, then produces a transparent lattice-like cocoon on the underside of an elm leaf, in which it pupates. The pupa is also green, around 8 mm long. The adult hatches out after 4 C7 days; it is a small black sawfly, 6 C10 mm long, with pale legs. There are several generations in a year; the final generation of the autumn produces a thicker, more solid cocoon; this falls with the autumn leaves, with the insect overwintering as a pupa in the leaf litter to emerge as adults the following spring. As an invasive species, it was first found in Europe in 2003, with the first records in Poland and Hungary; it spread westwards from there, reaching southeastern England in 2017. The first record in North America was in Quebec in 2020, and it has subsequently spread to several states in the United States. It can cause severe defoliation of elms, which can lead to their decline and death, particularly if other diseases are enabled to attack due to the tree's weakened status.

from Wikipedia

Taxonomic Information

Eukaryota

Arthropoda

Insecta

Hymenoptera

Argidae

Aproceros

leucopoda

nan

Photos (0 photos)

No photos available.

Morphological Features

Head entirely smooth, unpunctured, its width from above about 3.0 times medial length, strongly constricted behind eyes in dorsal view. Malar space broad, its length approximately equal to length of scapus and pedicellum combined. Antennae short, approximately as long as width of head. Labrum dark brown, mandibular apices brown. Pronotum partly brownish. Mesonotum with variable dark pattern, often with dark brown spots on middle and lateral or only lateral lobes. Legs white; coxae, trochanters and femora more or less yellowish; bases of coxae black; apex of hind tibia and all spurs darkened.

Source: GBIF Life Stage: Adult Source Type: Taxonomic treatment
Citation:

Plazi taxonomic treatment

Host Plants (11 host plants)

Data sources: EPPO Global Database and relevant literature.

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Quarantine Status (1 records)

Data sources: IPPC website and national quarantine websites; verified by human review.

Country Status Year Added
United States of America Quarantine pests —

Distribution (33 countries)

Data Sources: EPPO Global Database and GBIF.

30
Present
3
Absent
0
Unknown/Other
Country Status State
Austria Present —
Belgium Present —
Bulgaria Present —
Bosnia and Herzegovina Present —
Canada Present
Switzerland Present —
China Present
Czechia Present —
Germany Present —
Denmark Present —
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Distribution Map (Latitude and longitude coordinates sourced from GBIF.)

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Genomes (0 records)

Data source: NCBI.

No genome records available.

Transcriptomes (0 records)

Data source: NCBI.

No transcriptome records available.

DNA Barcodes (27 records)

View all

Data source: BOLD.

Process ID BIN Marker Length Country Date Lat/Lon Sequence
GBMNF37947-22 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 669 Canada - -
GBAH8779-14 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 1075 - - -
GBAAX84124-26 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 620 South Korea 2025-07-08 -
GBAAN16870-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 658 Russia - -
GBAAN16836-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 552 Russia - -
GBAAN16822-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 683 Russia - -
GBAAN16815-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 658 Russia - -
GBAAN16789-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 685 Russia - -
GBAAN16760-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 658 Russia - -
GBAAN16759-25 BOLD:ABU8978 COI-5P 665 Russia - -
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Literature