Allantus truncatus

Recorded locally north to Yorkshire, with isolated records further north through Scotland; most frequent in chalk downland habitats in southern England (Musgrove, 2023).

Allantus truncatus has a black abdomen that is banded with off-white across tergite five in the female. The legs are reddish to yellow. The clypeus and scutellum are dull with a rugged surface. The stigma is uniformly deep brown.

Larvae feed on roses, tormentil and great burnet.

Jump to other Allantus species

Size: 8 - 9mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: May to August

Plant associations: Rosa spp., Potentilla erecta and Sanguisorba officinalis (roses, tormentil and great burnet)

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

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 Natural England, unpublished