Empria improba ( =Empria camtschatica Forsius, 1928)

Three males were collected from Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve in 1970, with the specimens retained at the National Museums of Scotland collection in Edinburgh, although not identified as this species for many years (Liston 2016). No further records at time of writing (Musgrove, 2023). 

This species is within the immersa group along with immersa and fletcheri. The hind coxae, trochanters, and trochantelli are usually mostly black. The clypeus is entirely black and the hind femora are also mainly black. In the female the apical tergites and sternites are also black.

The larvae feed on willows.

Jump to other Empria species

Size: 6 - 7mm

GB IUCN Status: Data deficient
GB Rarity Status: Unclear

Distribution: Scotland

Flight period: April to June

Plant associations:  Salix spp. (willows)

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. D. 2016: Empria camtschatica Forsius and Tenthredo semicolon Mol (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in the British Isles. - The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Brightwood 152: 131-135.

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 Natural England, unpublished

Prous, M. 2012: Taxonomy and phylogeny of the sawfly genus Empria (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). - Dissertationes Biologicae Universitatis Tartuensis, Tartu 222: 192 pp.

Prous, M.; Blank, S. M.; Heibo, E.; Lönnve, O. J.; Taeger, A.; Vardal, H.; Liston, A. 2014: Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta) newly recorded from Sweden. - Entomologisk Tidskrift, Uppsala 135(3): 135-146.