Arge ustulata - Bronze Fusehorn

Arge ustulata is a largely brown species with a bronze/green sheen that is widely distributed, north to Sutherland (Musgrove, 2022). The stigma is bicolorous being clear yellow at the apex (including the marginal veining) and dark brown at the base. The subcosta and radial vein are pale yellow.

Larvae feed on willows, birches and hawthorn.

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Size: 7 - 10mm.

IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: Bivoltine, May to July

Plant associations: Salix spp., Betula spp. and Crataegus spp.. Willows, birches and hawthorns including Goat Willow, Salix caprea and Eared Willow, Salix aurita (Lorenz and Kraus, 1957)

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., 1995. Compendium of European Sawflies, Chalastos Forestry, Daibersdorf

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

Lorenz, H. and Kraus M., 1957. Die Larvalsystematik der Blattwespen (Tenthredinoidea und Megalodontoidea). - Abhandlungen zur Larvalsystematik der Insekten No. 1. Berlin: Akadamie - Verlag; 1957.

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 Natural England, unpublished