Selandria serva - Common Sedge-sawfly

Recorded widely across all of mainland Britain; one of the most frequently recorded sawfly species (Musgrove, 2023).

Coloured orange and black. The top of the thorax, the head and the antennae are all glossy black. The sides and underside of the thorax may be entirely black or with the black restricted to just the ventral surface. The abdomen is orange above often marked with black. The legs are orange though the coxae and bases of femora may be black. The labrum and mandibles are mostly black. 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

GB IUCN Status: Least Concern
GB Rarity Status: None

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)

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. 2023. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 2: The Athaliidae and the Tenthredinidae (excluding Nematinae). Natural England, unpublished