Taxonus agrorum

Local across much of England and Scotland, although unrecorded to date from Wales or south-west England. Only about 40 records so far, with relatively few of these in recent years, mostly in the north (Musgrove, 2023).

The abdomen is black with a red girdle on tergites 3 to 4 (or 5). On the legs, the coxae are black with white apices. The front legs have more or less black femora, a black line on the hind face of the tibia and tarsi, but are otherwise red. On the hind legs the coxae are black and white, and the apex of the hind tibia and most of the hind tibiae are black. The wings are hyaline with a dark stigma and venation.

Taxonus agrorum larvae feed on raspberry leaves.

Jump to the genus Taxonus

Size: 8 - 10mm

GB IUCN Status: Near Threatened
GB Rarity Status: None

Distribution: England, Scotland

Flight period: May to June

Plant associations: Rubus idaeus (raspberry)

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 Natural England, unpublished