Pristiphora armata - ruficornis group

This species cannot always be separated from Pristiphora leucopus. Males occur abundantly (rare in leucopus). In males, the entire abdomen is black including all sternites and the antennae are reddish-yellow. In the females, the femora are usually almost totally black. Determination of the females, is best done by examination of the saw.

Pristiphora armata larvae feed singly on hawthorns. Ova are deposited at the leaf margins. 

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 5-7mm

Status: Common

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: April to July

Plant associations: Crataegus spp. (hawthorns)

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

Grearson, K.J. and Liston, A.D., 2012. Review of seasonal polyphenism in the Symphyta (Hymenoptera), exemplified by Pristiphora leucopus (Hellén, 1948)(Tenthredinidae). Zootaxa, 3502, pp.72-88.

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

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