Endelomyia aethiops

Recorded widely across all of mainland Britain, as well as Orkney (Musgrove, 2023).

A small species. Females are normally found and only two males have been found in Britain in 1941 and in 1981 (Liston, 1982). Black except for yellowish-white knees and tibiae of the fore and middle legs. The wings are uniformly infuscate. Most often seen in the larval stage on garden roses.

Endelomyia aethiops larvae skeletonise the leaves of rose bushes by feeding on the surface of the leaf only.

Jump to the genus Endelomyia

Size: 4 - 5mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Rosa spp. (roses)

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. D. 1983: A second British male of Endelomyia aethiops (F.) (Hym., Tenthredinidae). - The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Oxford 119(Jan.-Apr.): 31

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 Natural England, unpublished

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