Sawflies

Tenthredo arcuata (~10 mm) - Antennae short, black and slightly clubbed. Broad yellow abdominal bands. Underside of male is completely yellow. Two yellow stripes and a yellow spot on the black thorax. Found from April to August in grassland habitats. Larvae feed on red and white clover. Andrew Halstead on the sawfly yahoo newsgroup, 13th Jan 2006 - possibly T. arcuata, but several similar species .

Phymatocera aterrima (7-10 mm) - Solomans seal sawfly Black sawfly with smoky wings. Often seen climbing over Solomon's seal plants from May to June. The larvae are grey and feed on Solomon's seal. Image taken at Garston Wood RSPB reserve, Sixpenny Handley, Wiltshire .

Arge cyanocrocea (~10 mm) - Yellow costa and black patch on forewing. Black thorax with yellow abdomen. Yellow hind legs with black tips (all yellow in A. ochropus). Short black antennae. Larvae feed on bramble. Found from May to July often on umbellifers. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire . ID confirmed by Andrew Halstead on the sawfly yahoo newsgroup, 13th Jan 2006 .

Cimbex femoratus (~25 mm) - Birch sawfly Dark abdomen with brown and yellow bands. Dark band on the wings. Clubbed antennae. Flies with a loud buzz. Found from May to August in wooded areas. Larvae (~4 cm) feed on birch - plump, grey-green, black stripe, caterpillar-like - black line is more prominent than in C. connatus that feeds on Alder. Larva spins a tough cocoon on twigs. Widespread but local. ID offered by John, from the sawfly yahoo newsgroup . Image taken at Porton Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Cephus pygmaeus (5-10 mm) - Wheat-stem borer Variable yellow abdominal bands - range from 2-5. Hind leg is banded black and yellow, other legs are completely yellow with black tips. Found from May to August on umbellifers and yellow composites in grassland habitats. Larvae have very small legs and tunnel in the stems of grasses including wheat, hence the common name. Several similar species.

Tenthredo mesomelas (10-15 mm) - Green and black sawfly resembling R. viridis. However, the front edge of the forewing and pterostigma are black. The scutellum is always green. Abundant and widespread during May to July. Larvae feed on a range of herbaceous plants. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire .

Tenthredo atra (?????) - Antennae are black. Male has red band on abdomen that female lacks. Larvae feed on many herbaceous plants including brassicas and potatoes. Found from May to August.

Tenthredopsis litterata (?????) - Reddish orange and black sawfly. Black thorax, yellow central spot. Abdomen is partially black, the rest is red. Larvae feed on grasses such as cocksfoot grass. Found from May to July. Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire .

The ovipositor used for laying eggs resembles a saw, hence the common name. No obvious waist between the thorax and abdomen unlike bees, wasps and ants. Generally fly weakly during the day. Males and females can easily be distinguished due to the absence of a sheath for the ovipositor in the males. Adult sawflies oftenvisit flowers eating nectar, pollen, petals and stems, however some species will eat other insects. Larvae are vegetarian - many resemble caterpillars but possess more prolegs, usually six or more pairs. Other larvae have much reduced legs as they live within leaves and stems or induce gall formation on certain plants. Identification often relies on examination of wing venation, and the number of tarsal and antennal segments. There are over 400 UK species.

The largest family of sawflies with over 65 species of Tenthredo alone in the UK. Identification is hard. Larvae are usually free-living with 6-8 pairs of prolegs. Other larvae are slug-like. Some may be considered pests in gardens or in agriculture.

Hartigia xanthostoma (13-18 mm) - Two superfically similar species, H. xanthostoma has a black face whilst H. linearis has a yellow face. ID offered by John, from the sawfly yahoo newsgroup . Larvae bore in the stems of plants. Image of female taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, 25th June 2005 .

Aglaostigma aucupariae (10-12 mm) - A. aucupariae lacks the white band on the side of the abdomen. Widepspread and common during April and May. Nocturnal larvae feed on hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo) and Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale). Image taken at Noar Hill, near Winchester, 5th May 2005 . A. fulvipes has a creamy-white band along the side of the abdomen. Nocturnal larvae feed on hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo) and Lady's bedstraw (Galium verum).

Dolerus haematodes (10-15 mm) - Feeds on various grasses. ID offered by the Sawfly larva database (developed by Ian Smith), from the sawfly yahoo newsgroup, 18th Feb 2006 . Image taken at Jack Scout, Silverdale, Lancashire, 7th Aug'05 .

Macrophya duodecimpunctata (10-12 mm) - Found crawling amongst a patch of nettles. Image taken at Hod Hill, near Stourpaine, Dorset, 28th May 2006 .

Tenthredopsis spp sawfly (~10 mm) - Found crawling on a thistle stem. Image taken at Hod Hill, near Stourpaine, Dorset, 28th May 2006 .

Tenthredopsis spp sawfly (10-12 mm) - Found crawling on a bramble leaf. Image taken at Martin Down, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, 28th May 2006 .

Arge pagana (7-10 mm) - Thorax and legs may be completely black or possess yellow markings. Bright yellow abdomen. Smoky wings with a black vein along the edge. Larvae feed on roses. Found from May to September in woodland rides and edges. Image taken at Powerstock Common, near Dorchester, Dorset .

Tenthredo celtica (~10 mm) - Female has a broad yellow band on the 3rd abdominal segment that extends back along the sides to the 5th segment. The male has less yellow on the upper surface but is completely yellow on the underside. The male has more yellow on the legs than the female. Flies from May to July. Image taken at Powerstock Common, near Dorchester, Dorset .

Rhadinoceraea micans (??? mm) - Iris sawfly ?????????? Image taken at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, Silverdale, Lancashire .

Athalia rosae (8-10 mm) - Turnip sawfly Black costa on the wings. Black head and thorax with orange marks on the thorax. Antennae have 10-12 segments. Orange abdomen and legs. Flies from May to October. Larva is greyish brown or black - feeds on brassicas such as turnips. Image taken at Lulworth Cove, near Swanage, Dorset .

Tenthredo thomsonii (??? mm) - ????? Image taken at Bentley Wood, near Winterslow, Wiltshire . Image is of a female.