Sterictiphora angelicae - Pale Twinhorn

One of two species present in this genus with only eight records at time of review from the south up to Durham and with only one post-1950 record in 1995 (Musgrove, 2022). This species has black only on the 1st and 2nd tergites, whereas Sterictiphora geminata has an entirely black abdomen (males may be pale on the 1st tergite) with a bronze sheen. The thorax is orange, except for black on the mesosternum, and is shining without surface sculpture (geminata thorax has microsculpture between punctures and is black).

Sterictiphora angelicae larvae feed on brambles.

Jump to other Argidae

Size: Approx. 5 - 7mm.

IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
GB Rarity Status: Nationally Rare

Distribution: England, Wales

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Rubus spp. Brambles (Lorenz and Kraus, 1957)

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. D. 1995: The identity of British Sterictiphora furcata auctt. (Hymenoptera, Argidae). - Entomologist's Gazette, Brightwood 46(4): 242

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

Lorenz, H. and Kraus M., 1957. Die Larvalsystematik der Blattwespen (Tenthredinoidea und Megalodontoidea). - Abhandlungen zur Larvalsystematik der Insekten No. 1. Berlin: Akadamie - Verlag

Musgrove, A.J. 2022. A review of the status of sawflies of Great Britain - Phase 1: families other than Tenthredinidae. Natural England, unpublished