Arge pagana
One of the yellow and black species. The pronotum, tegulae and parts of the legs are suffused with black. Wings more or less smoky.
The variation in the degree of dark markings gives two subspecies in Britain. The paler stephensii form has more extensive yellowing on the labrum, middle and hind coxae, femora and tibiae and sometimes upper mesopleural parts, pronotum and mesonotal lobes. The darker pagana form has head, thorax and legs entirely black. It is suspected that the two forms maybe separate species but further study is required.
Larvae feed on roses and are difficult to distinguish from Arge ochropus. The scar in the rose stem left by the ovipositing has a double row of cells in pagana and only a single row in ochropus.
Status: Locally common
Distribution: England, Wales
Flight period: May to September
Plant associations: Rosa spp. (roses)
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
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- Arge pagana male
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- Arge pagana male
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- Arge pagana reared
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- Arge pagana reared
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- Arge pagana late instar larva
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- Arge pagana early instar larva
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- Arge pagana early instar larva
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