Urocerus albicornis - White-horned Horntail

Occasionally introduced but not known to be established. Britain is not part of the natural range of the species, which occurs across the whole of North America. No actual dated records have been located prior to one in Newcastle in 1953, followed by others from Liverpool in 1971 and Corbridge in 1978 (Musgrove, 2022).

The female is a black wood wasp with white markings. The antennae are white with black segments basally and apically. White markings also behind the eyes and on the lateral faces of some tergites.

The male is like the female but with pale tergites in the middle of the abdomen.

Urocerus albicornis larvae feed in the timber of various coniferous trees including fir, larch, pine and cedar.

Jump to other Urocerus species

Size: 12 - 40mm

GB IUCN Status: Not Applicable
GB Rarity Status: Not Applicable

Distribution: England

Flight period: June to October

Plant associations: Pinaceae (coniferous trees) including Abies fraseri (Fraser Fir), Abies lasiocarpa (Subalpine Fir), Larix laricina (American Larch), Larix occidentalis (Western Larch), Picea engelmannii (Engelmann Spruce), Picea glauca (White Spruce), Picea mariana (Black Spruce), Picea sitchensis (Sitka Spruce), Pinus banksiana (Jack Pine), Pinus contorta (Lodgepole Pine), Pinus rigida (Northern Pitch-pine), Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir), Tsuga heterophylla (Western Hemlock-spruce).

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 Natural England, unpublished

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.