Dolerus brevicornis - Shorthorn Griever

Benson (1952) treated Dolerus asper and Dolerus brevicornis as a single species. They were split by Heidemaa et al. (2004), with the characters used to separate the two species being fairly subtle. Whilst some older specimens have been redetermined in this light, it is likely that many records of asper were named by reference to Benson (1952) and hence brevicornis will have been heavily under-recorded. The range remains unclear, although confirmed records of brevicornis are known from each of England, Scotland and Wales.

Males can be determined by the penis valve shape and the phenology. In females, the setae on dorsolateral edge of pronotum are distinctly shorter than the diameter of an ocellus and the clypeus is more or less symmetrical with the emargination approximately one third as deep as its median length. See Heidemaa et al for key.

Larvae feed on sedges and grasses.

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GB IUCN Status: Data Deficient
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: April to June

Plant associations: Cyperaceae and Graminaceae (sedges and grasses)

The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)

References:

Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London

Heidemaa, M.I.K.K., Nuorteva, M., Hantula, J. and Saarma, U., 2004. Dolerus asper Zaddach, 1859 and Dolerus brevicornis Zaddach, 1859 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), with notes on their phylogeny. European Journal of Entomology, 101(4), pp.637-650

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 Natural England, unpublished