Dolerus anthracinus
An early spring species. Body and legs black with blueish tinge. Front lobe of mesonotum has a fine median keel. Wings often do not reach the tip of the abdomen. In males the hairs on the head are dark.
Larvae feed on grasses. In the South East, the species is mainly on chalk grassland.
Status: Locally common
Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales
Flight period: February to April
Plant associations: Graminaceae (grasses)
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