Euura krausi (Taeger & Blank, 1998)

EUURA PUNICEA GROUP

Euura krausi - Kraus' Aspen Nematine

Amauronematus krausi Taeger & Blank, 1998

North to northern Scotland (although most records from southern England). It may be worth noting that this species is the same as Benson's Amauronematus puniceus, whilst the current Euura punicea (a Salix feeder) has not yet been recorded in Britain (Musgrove, 2024).

The females are yellow-brown to red-brown with black markings on a spot that encloses the ocelli extending to antennal bases, the bases of the mandibles and large areas of the back of the head. The antennae are black. On the thorax the propleura and mesosternum are mostly black and there are three broad stripes on the mesoscutum with the two outer ones converging towards the scutellum. The mesepimeron, metapleuron and dorsum of the metathorax are partially black on the sutures. The scutellum is yellow-brown with a narrow, dark front edge. The abdomen is extensively darked though this reduces to smaller dorsal black marks on the apical few tergites or even completely pale apically. The sawsheath is darkened apically. The head and thorax are densely and finely sculptured with a silky sheen. The tarsal claws are bifid. The saw is a valid characteristic for identification.

The males are significantly darker than the female with yellow on the clypeus, labrum, base of the mandibles base, malar space and to some degree lightened on the outer orbits.

Euura krausi larvae are green and feed on Aspen and other poplars. The larvae have pointed cerci distinguishing them from those of nigricornis which have blunt cerci.

Size: 5.5 - 7.5mm

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland

Flight period: April to May

Plant associations: Populus tremula (Aspen), Populus nigra (Black Poplar)