Hoplocampa brevis

One of the dark abdomened Hoplocampa species. The fore wing stigma is slightly darker at the base than at the apex. Males are unknown in Britain. In the female the ovipositor is as long as the hind tibia. The head is almost entirely light brown and there are brown patches on the lobes of the mesoscutum and scutellum. Wing venation yellow.

First recorded in two gardens in Cambridge in 1934 and then a severe infestation occured in pear orchards in Kent in 1949, but very few records since.

Hoplocampa brevis larvae feed inside the developing fruits of pear trees.

Jump to other species of Hoplocampa

Size: 5 - 5.5mm.

Status: Unknown

Distribution: England

Flight period: Univoltine, April to May

Plant associations: Pyrus communis (pears).

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

Liston, A., Prous, M. and Vårdal, H., 2019. A review of West Palaearctic Hoplocampa species, focussing on Sweden (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Zootaxa, 4615(1), pp.1-45.

Massee, A. M. 1950: Hoplocampa brevis (Klug) (Hym., Tenthredinidae) recorded from Kent. - The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Fourth Series, London 86(11): 224

Miles, H. W. 1936: A revision of the British species of Hoplocampa Hartig (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). - The Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Third Series, London 72(22): 58-62