EUURA RIBESII GROUP

Euura quieta  - Scented Currant Nematine, Tranquil Currant Nematine, Blackcurrant Sawfly

Nematus quietus Eversmann, 1847
Nematus olfaciens Benson, 1953

Most records from southern England, with fewer to southern Scotland. First confirmed in Britain in 1952 although suspected present long before (Benson 1953b) (Musgrove, 2024).

This species is similar to Euura ribesii and Euura leucotrochus from which it differs by having a clypeus deeply incised to at least half the depth of the clypeus. In both genders the abdomen is mainly yellow except for at most the basal two tergites. The female has the head and mesonotum black except for some yellow on the inner orbits.

The male has the mesopleura mainly black. The abdomen above is as per the female but may have a medial row of black flecks.

Euura quieta larvae feed on currants, including blackcurrant.

Size: Female: 5.5 - 6.5mm, male: 5.5 - 6.5mm.

GB IUCN status: Near Threatened
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland

Flight period: Univoltine, April to May

Plant associations: Ribes spp., including Ribes nigrum (currants, including blackcurrant)

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

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 Natural England, unpublished

Prous, M., Liston, A., Kramp, K., Savina, H., Vårdal, H. and Taeger, A., 2019. The West Palaearctic genera of Nematinae (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). ZooKeys, 875, p.63-127