Abia sericea
Similar to Abia candens and more common. The antennae in both sexes are usually all yellow and never with segment three bicolorous. In Abia sericea the antennae are dark on the apical and basal segments with middle segments yellow.
Larvae feed on scabious. Abia sericea larvae have a row of black dots on the dorsal midline.
Size: approx. 10mm
Status: Local
Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
Flight period: May to August
Plant associations: Succisa pratensis and probably Knautia arvensis (devil's bit scabious, field scabious)
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- Abia sericea female Credit David Plummer
References:
Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London
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
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]