Tenthredo vespa

A black and yellow species with black antennae. In the female the two basal antennal segments are often reddish-yellow in colour, whereas in the male they are often black. The head and thorax are densely punctured. The tegulae are at least reddish yellow at the edges. Yellow apical bands on the tergites do not broaden laterally. The fore wing has a clearly defined dark patch from the stigma to the apex. The femora are dark and the tibia are reddish.

Tenthredo vespa larvae feed on a broad range of shrubs and trees.

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Size: 11 - 12mm

Status: Uncommon

Distribution: England, Scotland, Wales

Flight period: May to September

Plant associations: Viburnum (wayfarer, guelder rose), Fraxinus (ash), Jasminum (jasmine), Lonicera (honeysuckle), Ligustrum (wild privet), Symphoricarpus (snowberry) and Acer plantanoides (sycamore).

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

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]