Bug FAQSaddleback Grass-cutter
Eutomostethus ephippium · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Tenthredinidae
Also called: Tenthredid wasp
Source: Wikipedia
Eutomostethus ephippium is a common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. It is found on various grasses, including Poa species. It feeds on those grasses.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Eutomostethus ephippium belongs to the sawfly family Tenthredinidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives on a range of grasses such as Poa.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It eats grasses, including Poa species.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 19 of 51 states and DC. Most records: New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Connecticut, Maine.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Is it a problem for lawns or turf?
Yes, it occurs on and feeds on grasses like Poa, which can affect lawns.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tenthredinidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eutomostethus_ephippium
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.