Pristiphora conjugata - Poplar Sawyer
Species not placed in a group

Local, mostly from Yorkshire southwards with an old record from the Glasgow area (Musgrove, 2024).

This species has a bicoloured stigma though this is not pronounced in the male. It is possible that two species reside within conjugata. However, variation in the morphology is continuous across specimens from poplar and those of willow. That said, males reared from willow have a predominantly black propleuron, whereas males reared from poplar have an extensively pale propleuron. Males are best determined by examination of the penis valves.

Pristiphora conjugata larvae feed socially (conjugata meaning coupled together) on Black Poplar, Aspen, White Willow, Goat Willow, Grey Willow, Crack Willow and Bay Willow. Ova are deposited at the leaf margin and the larvae eat the leaf blade uniformly from the margin.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 5.5 - 6.5mm

GB IUCN status: Near Threatened
GB rarity status: Nationally Scarce

Distribution: England, Scotland, Ireland

Flight period: April to June and July to August

Plant associations: Populus nigra, Populus tremula, Salix alba, Salix caprea, Salix cinerea, Salix fragilis and Salix pentandra (black poplar, aspen, white willow, goat willow, grey willow, crack willow and bay willow)

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 Natural England, unpublished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