Arge ciliaris - Meadowsweet Fusehorn

Arge ciliaris is one of the black Arge species with a metallic sheen to the thorax and abdomen. It is found locally north to Perthshire (Musgrove, 2022). Hairs on the face and mesopleura are silvery white. The wings are almost entirely hyaline with at most a small black blotch under the stigma. The legs are dark except for pale bases to the hind tibia. Adults will visit hogweed.

Larvae feed only on meadowsweet.

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Size: 7 - 9mm.

IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland

Flight period: Bivoltine, May to September

Plant associations: Filipendula ulmaria. Meadowsweet (Benson, 1952)

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

Muche, W. H. 1977: Die Argidae von Europa, Vorderasien und Nordafrika (mit Ausnahme der Gattung Aprosthema) (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). - Entomologische Abhandlungen. Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden , Leipzig 41, Supplement: 23-59.

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 Natural England, unpublished