Allantus cinctus

Widespread across Britain, more frequently recorded in south (Musgrove, 2023).

Allantus cinctus is very active in bright sunlight and is a strong flier. The female abdomen is black with a yellow-white band, which is confined to the fifth tergite. In the male, the abdomen is entirely black. The head is black and the clypeus is deeply incised. The stigma of the forewing is bicolorous cream and black as is the tegula. Hind femora are mostly black (sometimes white at the extreme base) and the tibia are red. [NB. According to Koch, in the holotype and two other males, the basal 2/3rds of the tibia are white as in the female. Koch observes that this seems to be a characteristic that occurs more frequently in western European specimens.] The apical two or three hind tarsal segments are darkened.

Eggs are laid into pockets cut on the underside of leaves and once matured may be visible from above as raised bulges. The larvae feed on members of the rose family. Early instar larvae are greyish-green with a black head. In the final instar the head is yellowish brown with darker areas on the vertex and behind the eyes. The torso is greyish green dorsally and pale yellowish green ventrally. The larval stage last 3 to 4 weeks. They pupate in the pith of cut stems. The summer generation emerges after two or three weeks.

Jump to other Allantus species

Size: 7 - 10mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: At least bivoltine, May to June and July to August

Plant associations: Rosaceae including Rosa spp. (rose) and Rubus spp. (brambles).

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

Koch, F., 1988. Zur Differentialdiagnose einiger Allantus-Arten (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Symphyta: Tenthredinidae). Reichenbachia, Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde Dresden, 26(9), pp.43-53.

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

Martelli, M. 1941: Comportamenti biologici e danni dell´Emphytus cinctus L. (Hymenoptera Tenthredinidae) sulla Fragola nell´Emilia. - Bolletino dell' Istituto di Entomologia della R. Università degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna 12: 171-178

Miles, H.W., 1936. On the Biology of Emphytus Cinctus, L., and Blennocampa Waldheimi, Gimm.*(Hym, Symphyta). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 27(3), pp.467-473.

Muche, W., 1972. Die schwarzen Männchen der mitteleuropäischen Allantus PANZER (Tenthredinidae, Blennocampinae). Ent. Nachr.[1972](9), pp.117-118.

Musgrove, A.J. 2023. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 2: The Athaliidae and the Tenthredinidae (excluding Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished