Pristiphora appendiculata - Small Gooseberry Sawfly
Pristiphora ruficornis group

North to northern Scotland, seemingly relatively common and widespread (Musgrove, 2024).

Males are very rare. The tarsal claws lack a subapical tooth. The mesopostnotum and mesepisternum of the thorax are smooth. The abdomen is laterally and ventrally black as are tergites 2 to 6.

Pristiphora appendiculata larvae feed on mountain currant, redcurrant, gooseberry and flowering currant. A notorious pest of redcurrants.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 4.5 - 5.5mm

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: Multivoltine, April (occasionally March) to October

Plant associations: Ribes alpinum, Ribes rubrum, Ribes uva-crispa and Ribes sanguineum (mountain currant, redcurrant, gooseberry and flowering currant)

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.D., 1981. Pristiphora (Lygaeophora) lanifica (Zaddach, 1882) new to Britain (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Entomologist's gazette.

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. 2024. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 3: The Tenthredinidae (subfamily Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished

Prous, M., Kramp, K., Vikberg, V. and Liston, A., 2017. North-Western Palaearctic species of Pristiphora (hymenoptera, tenthredinidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 59

Prous, M., Vikberg, V., Liston, A. and Kramp, K., 2016. North-western Palaearctic species of the Pristiphora ruficornis group (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research, 51

Vikberg, V., Blank, S.M., Schmidt, S. and Taeger, A., 2006. Pristiphora Latreille, 1810 (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Nematinae)-two closely related species feeding on Lathyrus and Salix and notes on species feeding on leguminous plants. Recent Sawfly Research: Synthesis and Prospects. Goecke & Evers, Keltern, pp.105-128.