Parna tenella

Quite sparsely recorded across Britain north to Edinburgh and observations have declined in recent years (Musgrove, 2023).

This species has been recorded in Britain since 1921. The head, thorax and abdomen are all black or piceous. In the male, the legs and much of the abdomen are reddish-yellow (darker basally). In the female, the tegulae are dark. The hind legs with the trochanters and femora entirely yellow.

Parna tenella larvae mine the leaves of lime trees creating a blister mine, which causes the leaf to curl. Mines tend to occur in sucker growth at the base of trees.

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Size: 4 - 5mm

Status: Endangered
Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: May to June.

Plant associations: Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia cordata. (large-leaved and small-leaved lime)

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

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.

Halstead, A.J., 2004. The host plants of the lime leaf-mining sawfly, Parna tenella (Klug)(Hym: Tenthredinidae) in Britain. British Journal of Entomology and Natural History, 17(2), pp.115-117.

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 Natural England, unpublished