caterpillar ID please

[genuinita]

does anyone know what this is?
i've trawled through dozens of ID sites and can't find it
was curled up on the very end of a twig in open birch/bracken area a few weeks ago



thanks

[Dogghound]

Quite hard to see but, looking at its body segmentation and is resting position im pretty sure this is a sawfly larvae (Symphyta) not a caterpillar. Unsure on exact species unfortunately Bracken is eaten by about 20 different sawfly species.

[wildlifesnapper]

Hi
yes I would say sawfly.

neil

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by genuinita

does anyone know what this is?
i've trawled through dozens of ID sites and can't find it
was curled up on the very end of a twig in open birch/bracken area a few weeks ago



thanks

Probably isnt, but it looks remarkably similar to an Elm Sawfly Larva
Doug

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by The Black Rabbit

Probably isnt, but it looks remarkably similar to an Elm Sawfly Larva
Doug

Yes good call, i agree with that, the photo's are almost identical. The darker colour in genuinita's photo could explain the possibility its on the bracken as its about to pupate.

[Dogghound]

Or then again maybe not, it appears to be an American species Cimbex americana. So unsure if its found in the UK carnt find any reference to it here. Highly likely to be a close relative unless anyone else has a reference of it over here?

[Dogghound]

Got it the closely related Cimbex femoratus it feeds on birch so that ties into what genuinita said about birch and bracken in the area.

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Or then again maybe not, it appears to be an American species Cimbex americana. So unsure if its found in the UK carnt find any reference to it here. Highly likely to be a close relative unless anyone else has a reference of it over here?

Yes, I thought that too Dogghound.
A close relly me thinks.
Doug


Ah. Posting at the same time again!

[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Got it the closely related Cimbex femoratus it feeds on birch so that ties into what genuinita said about birch and bracken in the area.

Is that the BIRCH SAWFLY then Dogghound?

[Dogghound]

Yes think thats its common name latin names definately Cimbex femoratus. Quite a localized species too by the looks of it so a good find.