Athalia cordata - Bugle Tigress

Recorded widely across all of mainland Britain.

This species has all tibia ringed apically with black (or at least infuscated) and black mesopleura, sometimes with a small orange spot.

Athalia cordata larvae feed on bugle, snapdragon and plantains.

Jump to other Athalia species

Size: 4-7mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: May to September

Plant associations: Ajuga reptans (Bugle), Antirrhinum spp. (Snapdragons) and Plantago spp. (Plantains).

The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)

References:

Benson, R. B. 1932: Sawfly Notes. - II. Parallel Variation in Athalia lugens Kl. and Athalia cordata Lep. (Hymenoptera Symphyta). - The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, including Zoology, Botany, and Geology; Tenth Series, London 9: 183-188

Benson, R. B. 1946: A mass-movement of the sawfly Athalia cordata Lep. in North Devonshire (Hym., Tenthredinidae). - The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Fourth Series, London 82(7): 87

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 Natural England, unpublished