Group alpestris
Description follows Prous et al, 2017. This group feed on birch trees (Betula spp.). In Britain, the hostplants are widespread. Data on distribution in Britain and Ireland are scant but all the species in this group are likely to be found across the regions.
The male and female genitalia are similar in both British species. The lancets have distinctly papilliform serrulae. In dorsal view, the sawsheath resembles those of the micronematica group but the setae are not concentrated into latero-apical bundles. The penis valve is almost semicircular between the tip of the valvura to the tip of the pseudoceps and the paravalva and pseudoceps are broad.
Group alpestris
Pristiphora alpestris (Konow, 1903)
Pristiphora pseudocoactula (Lindqvist, 1952)
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
Prous, M., Kramp, K., Vikberg, V. and Liston, A., 2017. north-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (hymenoptera, tenthredinidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, Vol. 59