Dineura stilata
Of the three Dineura species found in Britain and Ireland, Dineura stilata and Dineura testaceipes can be difficult to tell apart. Dineura stilata prefers warmer climes and has a more southerly distribution than Dineura testaceipes, which prefers cooler conditions.
The head is black with pale on the clypeus and labrum. The antennae are dark on segments one and two and at least pale ventrally on the following segments. The stigma is pale with some degree of darkening at the margins. The thorax is black above sometimes with pale edges to the lateral lobes in the females. In the female, the abdomen is extensively pale with the first tergite black and some darkening often on the following two tergites. In the male the abdomen may also be marked with black on further tergites but always with at least one central tergite entirely pale.
Dineura stilata larvae feed on hawthorns.
Jump to other species of Dineura
Size: 5 - 6mm
Status: Widespread
Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
Flight period: May to June, and possibly August to September
Plant associations: Crataegus spp. (hawthorns)
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
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- Dineura stilata female Credit Andy Brown
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- Dineura stilata female Credit Andy Brown
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
Liston, A., Prous, M. and Vardal, H., 2019. The West Palaearctic Dineura species, focussing on Sweden (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Zootaxa, 4612(4), pp.501-517.