Pristiphora decipiens - Deceiver Spruce Sawyer, Deceiver Spruce Sawfly
Pristiphora abietina group

First noted as British by Liston (1981), noting a record from Devon. Just four further records, widely scattered across England and Scotland, but spruce-feeding sawflies seem very poorly recorded overall. Data seem inadequate to describe the status, particularly for a species which could potentially be widespread in commerical forestry. The absence of this species from Benson (1958) may have resulted in a degree of under-recording (Musgrove, 2024).

In the female, the head is mostly pale above. In dorsal view, the sawsheath has distinct scopa posteriorly. In lateral view, the posterior margin of the sawsheath is truncate. Claws have a large subapical tooth. Males should be determined by the penis valve, but in both sexes, the mesepisternum is pale in Pristiphora decipiens (black in the similar Pristiphora compressa).

Pristiphora decipiens larvae feed on spruces.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: Probably 6.0 - 9.0mm

GB IUCN status: Data Deficient
GB rarity status: Nationally Rare

Distribution: England, Scotland

Flight period: May to July

Plant associations: Picea spp. (spruces)

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 Natural England, unpublished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, Vol. 59