A zigzag written in an elm leafSourced
An elm leaf has a zigzag cut.
A tiny larva made it while eating.
The elm zigzag sawfly is native to China and Japan. Early in its growth, its larva eats a distinctive zigzag path through an elm leaf, giving the insect its English name. As the larva grows, the feeding pattern becomes less regular.
A leaf pattern
became a name.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Aproceros leucopoda · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-01