EURA OBLITA GROUP

Euura scotaspis - Dark-shield Leaf-galler

Nematus westermanni Boheman, 1852
Nematus scataspis Förster, 1854
Nematus (Phyllocolpa) scotaspis Förster, 1854
Phyllocolpa scotaspis (Förster, 1854)
Pontania scotaspis (Förster, 1854)
Pontania (Phyllocolpa) scotaspis (Förster, 1854)
Nematus westermani Thomson, 1863

Benson (1958) gave the range as northern England and Scotland, but all subsequent records have been from Yorkshire southwards. The foodplant is widespread across much of Britain, although many sawflies associated with it seem poorly recorded (Musgrove, 2024). The species shows some variability in colour. See Liston et al (2017) for determination.

Euura scotaspis larvae feed on Common Osier and Holme Willow. The larvae cause a leaf fold, either spirally twisted or a marginal fold.

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Size: Female: 4.6 - 5.7mm, male: 4.0 - 5.0mm

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

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: Uni- or bivoltine

Plant associations: Salix viminalis and Salix dasyclados (common osier and Holme 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 Natural England, unpublished