Parna apicalis

First recorded in Britain in 2006 (Edmunds et al. 2007), since when the species has been recorded widely across Britain north to Edinburgh (Musgrove, 2023).

Males are unknown. The head, thorax and abdomen are all black or piceous. The tegulae and tibiae and tarsi are marked with yellow. The hind coxa, trochanters and femora are black.

Parna apicalis larvae mine the leaves of lime trees creating a blister mine in contact with the leaf edge but does not cause the leaf to curl as Parna tenella does. Mines tend to occur in the crown of trees.

Jump to other species of Parna

Size: 3.5 - 4mm

Status: Local

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: mid-April to early May.

Plant associations: Tilia spp. (lime trees)

References:

Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London

Edmunds, R., 2009. The distribution of Parna apicalis (Brischke, 1888)(Sym.: Tenthredinidae) in Britain. Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation, 121(5), p.235.

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. 2023. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 2: The Athaliidae and the Tenthredinidae (excluding Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished