Birka
This genus was previously placed in Melisandra along with Nesoselandria. The genus Birka is thought to have eighteen species distributed across the holarctic and oriental regions. There is a single species in Britain and Ireland.
This genus can be characterised within the Selandriinae by the following features. The antennae are shorter than twice the width of the head behind the eyes. The pedicel is about as broad as it is long, the first and second flagellomeres are subequal in length and the four apical segments are not obviously foreshortened. The post-genal carina is absent. A flat prepectus is present and separated from the mespisternum by a straight suture. In the forewing, the anal cell lacks an anal vein, vein 2rm is present and the stigma is not as deep as the length of the cross vein 2r-rs in the marginal cell. In the hindwing the anal cell is petiolate apically and the cell RS is not in contact with cell C.
Larvae are free feeders on species of the Boraginaceae family.
Species list:
Birka cinereipes (Klug, 1816)
References:
Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London
Blank, S. M. 1998: Die mittel- und nordeuropäischen Selandriinae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Pp. 207-224. In: Taeger, A.; Blank, S. M. (eds): Pflanzenwespen Deutschlands (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Kommentierte Bestandsaufnahme. - Goecke & Evers, Keltern.
Lacourt, J. 1990: Une nouvelle espèce de Birka Malaise des Alpes francaises (Hym. Tenthredinidae). - Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France, Paris 94(7-8): 221-222
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
Macek, J. 2013: Descriptions of larvae of Birka annulitarsis and B. cinereipes (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Tenthredinidae). - Acta entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, Praha 53(2): 815-819.
Malaise, R. 1963: Hymenoptera Tenthredinoidea, Subfamily Selandriinae. Key to the Genera of the World. - Entomologisk Tidskrift , Stockholm 84(3-4): 159-215
Muche, W. H. 1969: Die Blattwespen Deutschlands. II. Selandriinae (Hymenoptera). - Entomologische Abhandlungen. Staatliches Museum für Tierkunde in Dresden , Leipzig 36 [Supplement][1967/1970]: 61-96
Smith, D. R. 1969: Nearctic Sawflies. II. Selandriinae: Adults (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). - Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington 1398: 1-48
Vikberg, V. & Nuorteva, M. 1997: On the rearing of Nesoselandria morio (Fabricius) and Birka cinereipes (Klug) (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), with descriptions of their larvae. - Entomologica Fennica, Helsinki 8 (1): 27-38
Zombori, L. 1981: The European genera of Selandriinae and Dolerinae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta, Tenthredinidae). - Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Budapest 27(3-4): 443-450