EUURA ANOMALOPTERA GROUP
Euura purpureae - Purple Leaf-galler
Nematus purpureae Cameron, 1884
Nematus (Pontania) purpureae Cameron, 1884
Phyllocolpa purpureae (Cameron, 1884)
Pontania purpureae (Cameron, 1884)
Pontania (Phyllocolpa) purpureae (Cameron, 1884)
Pontania (Pontania) purpureae (Cameron, 1884)
Tubpontania purpureae (Cameron, 1884)
Euura acuminata Enslin, 1915
Euura (Euura) acuminata Enslin, 1915
North to northern Scotland. Benson (1958) said this species was 'apparently common throughout England'. Only 16 records could be sourced for the current review however. Additionally, the latest edition of the main guide to plant galls (Redfern & Shirley 2023) says that this species is not known in Britain, but is found in Ireland. It seems likely this is based on an understandable mixup around name changes, i.e. the former Euura purpureae (sensu Benson) is now Euura salicispurpureae (sensu Liston et al. (2017)), whilst the former Pontania purpureae (sensu Benson) is now Euura purpureae (sensu Liston et al. (2017)), and it is the first of these that is currently only known from Ireland. This issues will doubtless lead to confusion in assessing records of these taxa for years to come. (Musgrove, 2024).
See Liston et al (2017) for determination of adults. The host plant is widespread.
Euura purpureae larvae feed on Purple Willow causing a twisted leaf roll.
Jump to other group anomaloptera species
Size: Female: 3.0 - 4.3mm, male: 3.4 - 3.9mm
GB IUCN status: Data Deficient
GB rarity status: Nationally Rare
Distribution: England, Scotland
Flight period: Bivoltine
Plant associations: Salix purpurea (Purple Willow)
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
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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 Natural England, unpublished