Pamphilius albopictus - Ivory Spinner
This species was overlooked as British for a long time. Two specimens taken by Harwood near Aviemore in 1944 were previously determined as P. vafer, until Shinohara (1998) reidentified them during a review. A further specimen was photographed in Co Durham in 2021. The foodplant is very widespread in Britain especially in the north (Musgrove, 2022).
Males are unknown. Females are mottled black and ivory-yellow. Thorax is black with yellow and ivory mottling. Wing venation is mostly brown but the costa and subcosta are yellowish. Stigma is light brown. Added to the British list in 1998.
Pamphilius albopictus larvae feed singly on Bird Cherry leaves which are rolled downwards parallel to the mid-vein.
Size: 7 - 10mm
GB IUCN Status: Data Deficient
GB Rarity Status: Nationally Rare
Distribution: England, Scotland
Flight period: June to July
Plant associations: Prunus padus (Bird Cherry).
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References:
Kangas, E. and Kangas, J. K. 1963. Die Larve von Pamphilius albopictus Thoms. (Hym., Pamphiliidae). - Annales Entomologici Fennici, Helsinki 29: 267-269
Kangas, E. and Kangas, J. K. 1965: Weitere biologische Beobachtungen und Neubeschreibungen der Larve von Pamphilius albopictus Thoms. (Hym., Pamphiliidae). - Annales Entomologici Fennici, Helsinki 31: 31-37
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
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 Natural England, unpublished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.