Pristiphora melanocarpa - Dark Birch Sawyer
Pristiphora ruficornis group

North to northern Scotland, recorded reasonably frequently (Musgrove, 2024).

This species is similar to Pristiphora ruficornis but melanocarpa has darker antennae. Males are best determined by examination of the penis valves. Determination of the females is best done by examination of the saw which lacks any setae on the lateral faces of the six apical segments.

Pristiphora melanocarpa larvae feed on silver birch, downy birch and dwarf birch. The female inserts ova into the leaf margins. 

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 4.0 - 5.5mm

GB IUCN status: Least Concern
GB rarity status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland

Flight period: April to June

Plant associations: Betula pendula, Betula pubescens and Betula nana (silver birch, downy birch and dwarf birch)

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 Natural England, unpublished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

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