Pristiphora tetrica - Sullen Sawyer
Pristiphora depressa group

The first British record was an adult found in Norfolk in 2023 (Green 2024). Whilst this could conceivably represent a previously overlooked resident, it is here considered as a newly colonising species (Musgrove, 2024).

Added to the UK list in 2023 after a female was found by Martin Greenland in Norfolk. It is unclear whether or not this is an introduced species or an overlooked native. The head in dorsal view is black, as are the thorax, the basal abdominal tergites and the legs for the most part. The black supraclypeal area distinguishes this species from depressa and subbifida and the colour pattern is characteristic, at least in the Northern Palaearctic.  Both genders can be confirmed by genitalia extraction.

Pristiphora tetrica larvae feed singly on Sycamore and Cretan Maple where planted, eating from the leaf edge.

Jump to other species of Pristiphora

Size: 5.0 - 7.0mm

GB IUCN status: Not applicable
GB rarity status: Nationally Rare

Distribution: England

Flight period: May to July

Plant associations: Acer pseudoplatanus  (Sycamore) and Acer sempervirens (Cretan Maple)

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. D. & Späth, J. 2008: On the sawflies of Cyprus, with a revision of the Pristiphora subbifida species group (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). - Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, München 98: 99-120

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 Natural England, unpublished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