Sirex areolatus - Areolate Woodwasp
Native to North America and probably only found in Britain when emerging from imported timber. Several specimens were taken in Coventry in 1923/24. Even if other undocumented records have occurred, it is clearly no more than an occasional import (Musgrove, 2022). Sirex areolatus adults have predominantly blue-black legs, head, and thorax. The female abdomen is wholly blue-black and in the male, it is black only on the basal and apical abdominal segments, with the central tergites being red-brown. The wings are smoky to violaceous.
Areolate Woodwasp larvae feed in timber of various non-native coniferous species for up to 3 years.
Size: Approx. 10 to 40mm
GB IUCN Status: Not Applicable
GB Rarity Status: Not Applicable
Distribution: England (not established)
Flight period: June to October
Plant associations: Pinaceae spp. (pines, cedars, junipers, firs, redwood) including Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey cypress), Calocedrus decurrens (Californian incense-cedar), Sequoia sempervirens (coastal redwood), Thuja spp. (white-cedar and red-cedar), Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress), Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine), Pinus radiata (Monterey pine), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir).
The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)
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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. 2022. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 1: families other than Tenthredinidae. Natural England, unpublished
Schiff, N.M., Goulet, H., Smith, D.R., Boudreault, C., Wilson, A.D. and Scheffler, B.E., 2012. Siricidae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Siricoidea) of the western hemisphere. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification 21: 1-305, 21, pp.1-305.