Tenthredo olivacea
A Tenthredo species that looks very similar to the Rhogogaster viridis group. It can be distinguished by having a head and mesonotum coriaceous and evenly covered in short stiff black hairs. In Rhogogaster species these are shining with sparse pale hairs. The green colour on olivacea is a more drab olive rather than the vibrant green of Rhogogaster though it would be unwise to make a determination on this basis alone. The stigma and costa is green. The black markings on the upper head often have the appearance of a capital H taking in the two broad parallel side stripes that extend to the back of the head and a central transverse band taking in the hind ocelli.
Larvae feed on a range of herbaceous plants including buttercups, plantains, speedwells and chickweeds.
Size: 9 - 12mm
Status: Widespread
Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales
Flight period: May to July
Plant associations: Ranunculus (buttercups), Plantago (plantains), Veronica (speedwells), Myosotis (chickweeds)
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- Tenthredo olivacea Credit Stephen Plant
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- Tenthredo olivacea female Credit Shirley Millar
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- Tenthredo olivacea female Credit Shirley Millar
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- Tenthredo olivacea Credit Tim Worfolk
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
Fekete, K. (2018) Beginner’s guide to identifying British Tenthredo, Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/take-part/identification-trainers/sawflies-guide-id-trainees.pdf [Accessed 26Apr2019]