Blennocampa phyllocolpa

Widespread and often common across most of mainland Britain, and also on Skye (Musgrove, 2023).

A small black bodied insect with pale, off-white tibia and tarsus. The hind and middle femora are dark. Most often encountered at the larval stage.

Blennocampa phyllocolpa larvae feed on roses and cause the margins of the leaf to roll downwards (never upwards!).

Size: 3 - 4.5 mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: April to July

Plant associations: Rosa spp. (roses)

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 Natural England, unpublished