Willow Gall Sawfly

Willow Gall Sawfly - Euura pedunculi

Alternative names
Pontania pedunculi
Eupontania pedunculi
Description

Euura pedunculi is a sawfly that causes a gall on certain species of Willow: Salix capraea (Goat Willow), Salix cinerea (Grey Willow) and Salix aurita (Eared Willow). The gall is commonly seen but the adult sawfly rarely so. The gall is generally pea-shaped, starting green but becoming red as it matures. It is hairy (sometimes very hairy, or sparsely so) and only found on the underside of the leaf; there may be a slight mark on the upperside.

Similar Species

Several other sawfly species form bean galls on sallows and willows, but these protrude from both sides of the leaf.  The gall-midge Iteomyia major forms galls on sallows, but is associated with the midrib and usually in a group of several coalesced galls

Identification difficulty

Gall  Adult

ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)
  • gall found on Salix capraea (Goat Willow), Salix cinerea (Grey Willow) or Salix aurita (Eared Willow)
  • gall is pea-shaped and hairy
  • gall is on the underside of the leaf
Recording advice

If recording a gall, it is essential to say which tree species it was on, and provide photos of host plant leaf as well as gall.

Habitat

Hedgerows and damp places where the host Willow trees are present.

When to see it

Adult May - August

UK Status

Fairly common in England.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Additional images

All NatureSpot records