Sirex areolatus

Native to North America and probably only found in Britain when emerging from imported timber. Adult 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.

Sirex areolatus larvae feed in timber of various non-native coniferous species for up to 3 years.

Jump to other Sirex species

Size: Approx. 10 to 40mm

Status: Common

Distribution: England (not established)

Flight period: June to October

Plant associations: Pinaceae spp. (pines, cedars, junipers, firs, redwood) incl...

Cupressus macrocarpa (Monterey cypress) (3)
Calocedrus decurrens (Californian incense-cedar) (3)
Sequoia sempervirens (coastal redwood) (3)
Thuja spp. (white-cedar and red-cedar) (3)
Taxodium distichum (swamp cypress)(3)
Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) (3)
Pinus radiata (Monterey pine) (3)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) (3)

The National Biodiversity Network records are shown on the map below. (See terms and conditions)

References:

1. Benson, R.B., 1952. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects. Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Vol 6, Section 2(a-c), Royal Entomological Society, London

2. 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

3. 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.