Euura ribesii (Scopoli, 1763)

Euura ribesii

This is the commonest of the gooseberry sawflies. In both genders the eighth tergite has a prolongation in the middle of the hind margin that is rounded, whereas in the similar Euura leucotrocha it is truncate. In the female, the scutellum, the mesonotum and abdomen are almost entirely yellow. The clypeus is only incised to a depth less than half the total depth of the clypeus. The head is black with usually a yellow mark on the upper orbits. The tip of the sawsheath is weakly truncate, whereas it is rounded in Euura leucotrocha.

The male has the abdomen yellow above with a variable amount of black. On the penis valve, the pseudoceps is narrow and beak-like at the apex and the pseudoceps, valviceps and paravalva are devoid of any spines.

Euura ribesii larvae feed on currants, including redcurrant, gooseberry and mountain currant. Gooseberry and redcurrant are preferred as blackcurrant and mountain currant are believed to less palatable compounds. Eggs are lain in rows along a vein on the underside of a leaf. Large populations can defoliate plants.

Size: Female: 6.0 - 7.0mm, male: 6.0 - 7.0mm.

Status: Common

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: Multivoltine, April to September

Plant associations: Ribes rubrum, Ribes uva-crispa and Ribes alpinum (redcurrant, gooseberry and mountain currant)