Claremontia confusa = Monophadnoides confusa sensu Benson

What was originally called confusa became renamed to brevicornis (Liston et al. 2014), but then Liston et al. (2022) had the name revert to confusa whilst simultaneously renaming puncticeps as brevicornis. The species appears to occur northwards to central Scotland (Musgrove, 2023).

The head is black and glossy but with small tubercles. The second antennal segment is noticeably wider than long. The thorax is also black and the mesopleura are sparsely clothes with tubercles. The abdomen is also black. The legs are variable being mostly black. The wings are strongly infuscated.

Claremontia confusa larvae feed on strawberry plants.

Jump to other Claremontia species

Size: 5.0 - 6.5mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Fragaria spp.(strawberry plants)

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., Mutanen, M., Heidemaa, M., Blank, S.M., Kiljunen, N., Taeger, A., Viitasaari, M., Vikberg, V., Wutke, S. and Prous, M., 2022. Taxonomy and nomenclature of some Fennoscandian Sawflies, with descriptions of two new species (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift69(2), pp.151-218.

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 Natural England, unpublished

Sheppard, D. A., 2019. British Symphyta (draft in preparation)