Selandria serva
Coloured orange and black. The top of the thorax, the head and the antennae are all glossy black. The abdomen is orange above often marked with black. The legs are orange except for the coxae and bases of femora. The labrum and mandibles are mostly orange. The third antennal segment is shorter than the three apical segments combined. Smaller than the much rarer Selandria melanosterna.
Selandria serva larvae feed on various sedges, grasses and rushes. They pupate under ground.
Jump to other Selandria species
Size: 6 - 8mm
Status: Common
Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland
Flight period: Bivoltine, May to October
Plant associations: Cyperaceae, Gramineae and Juncaceae (sedges, grasses and rushes)
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
- Selandria serva female Credit Andrew Green
- Selandria serva female Credit Andrew Green
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