Hoplocampa testudinea - Apple Fruit-borer

North to Cumbria, seemingly common and widespread. Considered a pest species on domestic apples but data on horticultural pests tends to be poorly collected (Musgrove, 2024).

This is the Hoplocampa associated with apple species. Predominantly black bodied above and orange below. The head is orange with a central black patch. The stigma and wing venation are brown or dark. The stigma is clearly darker at the base than the apex.

Hoplocampa testudinea females cut and lay eggs into the ovary behind apple blossom. The larva feeds inside the developing fruit. The damaged fruit will drop before maturing, at which point the larva leaves the fruit and pupates underground. Larvae may migrate to a second fruit. If the larva dies but the fruit matures, a large circular scar on the surface of the apple is diagnostic.

Jump to other species of Hoplocampa

Size: 6-7mm

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Wales

Flight period: April to May

Plant associations: Malus pumila (apple)

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

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.

Musgrove, A.J. 2024. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 3: The Tenthredinidae (subfamily Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished