Pristiphora biscalis - Two-tone Sawyer
Species not placed in a group

North to Cumbria, seemingly fairly widespread. Benson (1958) went to the effort of listing a number of counties in southern England and Wales for this species, hence there is an indication that it has expanded northwards in recent decades (Musgrove, 2024).

Females of this species is similar to Pristiphora maesta. Pristiphora biscalis species has black cerci and at least a partly pale clypeus. Males are best determined by examination of the penis valves.

Larvae feed on blackthorn.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 4.5 - 5.5mm

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: April to June

Plant associations: Prunus spinosa (blackthorn)

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, 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 Natural England, unpublished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