Abia aenea - Cryptic Clubhorn

Abia aenea is very similar to Abia lonicerae and is widespread across southern England and Wales north to Yorkshire (Musgrove, 2022). Both species share the same habitat and foodplants, but the larvae have subtle differences. Adults cannot usually be determined from images, but specimens can be determined by antennal shape and the microsculpture of the mesepisternum. The female of this species has more slender antennae, with the fourth antennomere (the one after the long segment) being about three times as long as broad, (viewed side on) and both sexes have dense microsculpture between the punctures on the mesepisternum.

Larvae feed on honeysuckles and other members of the Caprifoliaceae. Larvae of this species have been reared from eggs deposited by a confirmed female aenea on Leycesteria formosa in a garden. A larva from this brood was subsequently barcoded further confirming aenea as the species. Unfortunately, these larvae were identical in appearance to the Abia lonicerae larvae described by Chevin (2001). Therefore larvae of the two species cannot be separated at present.

Jump to other Cimbicidae

Size: approx. 12mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: Nationally Scarce

Distribution: England

Flight period: March to June

Plant associations: Caprifoliaceae including Lonicera fragrantissima (Winter-flowering Honeysuckle), Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry), Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle).

The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)

References:

Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London

Bibolini C., 1967. Contributo alla conoscenza dei cimbicidi italiani (Hym,-Symphyta). Ist di Entomol Agrar della Univ di Pisa.

Chevin, H., 1998. Biologie et description de la larve de Zaraea lonicerae (L.)(Hymenoptera, Cimbicidae). Cahiers des naturalistes, 54(1), pp.1-4.

Hackston, M (2014) Family Cimbicidae: Key to the British species. https://sites.google.com/site/mikesinsectkeyshymenoptera/Home/hymenoptera/symphyta/superfamily-tenthredinoidea/family-cimbicidae [Accessed 25Apr2019]

Liston A, Knight G, Sheppard D, Broad G, Livermore L (2014) Checklist of British and Irish Hymenoptera - Sawflies, ‘Symphyta’. Biodiversity Data Journal 2: e1168. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.2.e1168

Liston, A.D., Savina, H., Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G. and Boeve, J.L., 2014. Taxonomy, phylogeny and host plants of some Abia sawflies (Hymenoptera, Cimbicidae). Zootaxa, 3821(1), pp.125-132.

Musgrove, A.J. 2022. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 1: families other than Tenthredinidae. Natural England, unpublished

Taeger, A., 1998. Bestimmungsschlüssel der Keulhornblattwespen Deutschlands (Hymenoptera: Cimbicidae). Pflanzenwespen Deutschlands (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Kommentierte Bestandsaufnahme. Goecke & Evers, Keltern, pp.193-205.