Dineura virididorsata

The head is variable from completely pale except for around the ocelli and postoccipital grooves to black marked across the top of the head down to the tortuli. The mesonotum varies from completely pale to completely dark. The abdomen is variable from only tergite 1 dark medially, to black on all anterior tergites, except the lateral faces, with only tergites eight to ten pale dorsally. The antennae and legs are principally pale.

Dineura virididorsata larvae feed on silver birch and downy birch.

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Size: Female: 5 - 8mm, male: 5 - 7mm

Status: Widespread

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Betula spp. (birches)

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.