Bug FAQLarge Rose Sawfly
Arge pagana · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Argidae
Also called: Common Rose Fusehorn
Source: Wikipedia
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The adult has black wings with a metallic blue shine and a bright yellow, rounded abdomen. Larvae live in groups on rose leaves, appearing in early summer and growing to full size by late July, where they can strip the foliage.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The wings are black with a blue metallic sheen. The abdomen is large, rounded, and yellow.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults reach about 1 cm in length. Larvae grow to roughly 25 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Larval colonies can defoliate rose plants, harming garden roses.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Eggs are laid on rose bushes, and the larvae emerge in early summer. Full-size larvae are present by the end of July.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae feed together on the leaves of rose species. Adults sip nectar and pollen from tansy and hogweed flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The pupal stage is very brief. In warm years the species may produce two or even three generations.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It occurs throughout the Palearctic region.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The related sawfly Arge ochropus is also called “large rose sawfly,” so they can be confused.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I tell if I have large rose sawfly larvae?
Look for groups of greenish larvae feeding on rose leaves in early summer; the adults have black, blue-shiny wings and a bright yellow abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Do they damage my garden?
Yes, the larvae eat rose foliage and can strip the leaves, harming the plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What other insect is called large rose sawfly?
The species Arge ochropus shares the same common name, so it may be mistaken for this sawfly.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Argidae)
Rose SawflyArge ochropusDamages trees, gardens or crops
Bramble SawflyArge cyanocroceaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Azalea Argid SawflyArge similis
Elm Zigzag SawflyAproceros leucopodaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Cibdela janthinaCibdela janthina
Zenarge turneriZenarge turneriDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arge_pagana
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.