Abia fasciata - Banded Clubhorn

Abia fasciata is a blackish species with a violet sheen that is widespread as far north as Inverness (Musgrove, 2022). Females have a white propodeum and metanotum. Wings are milky at the base with a dark central band and clear apex. Males are very rare but lack the velvety patches on the tergites that are found on males of other Abia species.

Larvae feed on members of the Caprifoliaceae family which includes honeysuckle, snowberry and pheasantberry, etc.

Jump to other Cimbicidae

Size: approx. 10mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: Uni- or bivoltine, April to August

Plant associations: Caprifoliaceae including Lonicera periclymenum (Honeysuckle), Lonicera xylosteum (Fly Honeysuckle), Symphoricarpos albus (Snowberry), Leycesteria formosa (Himalayan Honeysuckle), Linnaea borealis (Twinflower).

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

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 Natural England, unpublished