What does the wheat stem sawfly look like?
The adults are small, black, wasp like insects with three yellow bands around their abdomen. They can be found resting on grain stems, head down, starting in June. The larvae are a pale yellow color with a brown head and a blunt pointed projection on the tail end. The larvae can be found feeding inside the wheat stems, and will make an S-shape when removed. Also characteristic of the wheat stem sawfly larvae is the sawdust looking frass (larval feces).
