Pristiphora aphantoneura (Förster, 1854)

Pristiphora aphantoneura - Meadow-vetchling Sawyer
Pristiphora ruficornis group

Long recorded as Pristiphora fulvipes, but problems arose when Vikberg (2006) showed there to be two very similar species involved: P. aphantoneura on Lathyrus pratensis and P. luteipes on various Salix. The two species are not always differentiable morphologically (Prous et al. 2017). The two foodplants frequently grow in close proximity to each other in Britain, and so records cannot readily be separated on location. There are numerous records available, but it is mostly unclear as to whether these refer to an uncritical name change from fulvipes, or have been differentiated more formally from luteipes. Eight records from southern England and Wales (and dated 1963 or earlier) were amongst those listed in the study by Vikberg (2006), confirming the species as present in Britain. To date, however, it seems unclear how many more records should be considered as definitively applying to this taxon. For at least some of them, sites or habitats are perhaps more suggestive of involving sallows (so luteipes) (Musgrove, 2024).

Males are unknown. The surface sculpture of the mesepisternum is not a reliable character. The lectotype has a yellowish-brown scape that is dorsally infuscate. The tegulae are black finely edged with yellowish-brown laterally. The pronotum is black. Separation of the two species is best achieved by detailed examination of the saw, though small differences in the hypopygium may also be diagnostic.

Pristiphora aphantoneura larvae feed on Meadow Vetchling.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 3.7 - 5.5mm

GB IUCN status: Data Deficient
GB rarity status: Unclear

Distribution: England, Wales

Flight period: May to Aug

Plant associations: Lathyrus pratensis (meadow vetchling)