Pamphilius hortorum - Raspberry Spinner

Widespread north to Speyside (Musgrove, 2022). A predominantly black species. The head is almost entirely black in both sexes as is the thorax. The mesoscutellum and metascutellum are yellow. The stigma and venation are mostly brown, but paler in the male. The abdomen is also black but banded with reddish brown on tergites 4 to 5, or 4 to 6. The band is more orange-brown in the male.

Pamphilius hortorum larvae feed singly and form leaf rolls on raspberry plants.

Jump to other Pamphiliidae

Size: Male: 7 - 10mm, Female: 8 - 11mm

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Rubus idaeus (raspberry) and Rubus saxatilis (stone bramble).

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

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 Natural England, unpublished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.