EUURA VIMINALIS GROUP
Euura arbusculae - Mountain Pea-galler
Eupontania arbusculae (Benson, 1941)
Pontania arbusculae Benson, 1941
Liston et al. (2017) said that 'the only definite record is of the type from Scotland' relating to Benson 1941b). In 2018-2019 it was re-discovered at a number of locations in the same area, in proximity to Lochan na Làirige (Perthshire). It is potentially overlooked elsewhere but the foodplant is only known from 25 hectads and so is not likely to be widespread. Although the species seems likely to occur in Scandinavia also, there are no such records yet and hence, at present, this is a very rare British endemic (Musgrove, 2024).
See Liston et al (2017) for determination of adults. The host plant is an upland species. Within this group, males of Euura aquilonis, crassipes, collectanea, myrsiniticola, pedunculi, saliciscinereae, samolad, viminalis, herbaceae and arbusculae are inseparable.
Larvae feed on Mountain Willow causing pea-shaped galls. However, a further, as yet unidentified species, within the viminalis group may cause galls on this willow and galls cannot be attributes solely to Euura arbusculae.
Jump to other group viminalis species
Size: Female: 3.4 - 3.7mm, male: 3.9 - 4.9mm
GB IUCN Status: Vulnerable
GB Rarity Status: Nationally Rare
Distribution: Scotland
Flight period: Univoltine
Plant associations: Salix arbuscula (Mountain Willow)
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
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- Euura arbusculae larva on Mountain Willow Credit Sam Thomas
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- Euura arbusculae larva on Mountain Willow Credit Sam Thomas
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- Euura arbusculae gall on Mountain Willow Credit Sam Thomas
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- Euura arbusculae galls on Mountain Willow Credit Sam Thomas
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., Heibo, E., Prous, M., Vårdal, H., Nyman, T. and Vikberg, V., 2017. North European gall-inducing Euura sawflies (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae, Nematinae). Zootaxa, 4302(1), pp.1-115.
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. 2024. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 3: The Tenthredinidae (subfamily Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished