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)

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