EUURA SCUTELLATA GROUP

Euura scutellata - Shielded Spruce Nematine,  Shielded Spruce Sawfly 

Nematus scutellatus Hartig, 1837
Pikonema scutellatum (Hartig, 1837)
Nematus immundus Thomson, 1863

Recorded north to central Scotland. Benson described this as 'often common' but there are few recent records, although it still seems distributed across much of Britain. Many species in commercial conifer plantations appear very poorly recorded. Was found in both Welsh forests studied by Enston & Williams (2023) (Musgrove, 2024).

Greenish-yellow in life. The dorsal face of the antennae are black, the postocellar area, more or less the mesonotum and the scutellum. The abdominal dorsum is usually with two rows of black spots, but often more or less black. On the legs the apices of the hind tibiae and tarsi are blackish. In the male the scutellum is dark with a pale anterior margin.

Euura scutellata larvae feed on spruces.

Size: 7.0 - 9.0mm.

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: April to June

Plant associations: Picea spp. (spruces)

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

Muche, W.H., 1974. Die Nematinengattungen Pristiphora Latreille, Pachynematus Konow und Nematus Panzer (Hym., Temthredinidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, 21(1/3), pp.1-137.

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 Natural England, unpublished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