Neurotoma saltuum - Social Pear Spinner

Records have increased recently, and the species appears to be widespread in southern Britain. The first record for Scotland was from near Lockerbie in 2020 (Musgrove, 2022).

Females are a broadly dull dark insect with yellow on the head between the antennae and yellow also are the two basal antennal segments, tegulae, legs and posterolateral flecks on tergites 3 to 7. Darkness of the abdomen is variable from black to yellowish-brown.

Males are lighter and have the face and forward parts of the frons yellow with the genae more or less black. The abdomen is often an orangey-brown colour.

Neurotoma saltuum larvae feed in communal webs of up to 60 individuals on woody members of the rosaceae family.

Jump to other Pamphiliidae

Size: Male: 9 - 12mm, Female: 10 - 14mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Rosaceae (rosaceous plants) including Pyrus communis (pear), Crataegus spp. (hawthorns), Prunus spp. (blackthorns), Mespilus spp. (medlars), and Cotoneaster spp. (cotoneasters).

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., 1995. Compendium of European Sawflies, Chalastos Forestry, Daibersdorf

Musgrove, A.J. 2022. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 1: families other than Tenthredinidae. Natural England, unpublished

Viitasaari, M. ed., 2002. Sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta), I: a review of the suborder, the Western Palaearctic taxa of Xyeloidea and Pamphilioidea. Tremex Press.