EUURA VIMINALIS GROUP

Euura saliciscinereae - Dark-leaf Pea-galler

Tenthredo saliciscinereae Retzius, 1783
Eupontania saliciscinereae (Retzius, 1783)
Nematus gallarum Hartig, 1837
Nematus aestivus Thomson, 1863
Pontania norvegica Kopelke, 1991
Pontania varia Kopelke, 1991
Nematus acerosus Hartig, 1840

Records are sparse but those definitively associated with the currently recognised correct foodplant have been reported from Perthshire, Roxburghshire and the Cairngorms. Benson (1958) also stated that this species galled the leaves of Salix purpurea, which is no longer thought to be the case (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.

Euura saliciscinereae larvae feed on Dark-leaved Willow. The gall is in contact with the midrib, projecting only below the leaf-blade. The pea shaped gall is at most weakly hairy, usually without warts and green often flushed with red.

Jump to other group viminalis species

Size: Female: 2.8 - 5.4mm, male: 3.0 - 5.3mm

GB IUCN status: Data Deficient
GB rarity status: Nationally Rare

Distribution: Scotland, England

Flight period: Univoltine

Plant associations: Salix myrsinifolia (Dark-leaved Willow)

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.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 Natural England, unpublished