Larva ID Please. Found under Oak.

Looking · #1 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 01:21 PM

Hi,
I am hoping that someone can ID this larva for me.
Photo was taken in E.Sussex on 14 May 2008 under an Oak tree.

Thanks Dave

CapAndBracket · #2 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 02:19 PM

Periclista lineolata, may be a good contender. (novice with these).

Cheers J.P.

charlieb · #3 (**permalink**) 11-04-2009, 02:32 PM

Yup, its a Periclista (a sawfly), but I've yet to find a way to id the larvae to species.

There are 3 in Britain:

Periclista albida
Periclista lineolata
Periclista pubescens

Looking · #4 (**permalink**) 14-04-2009, 10:57 AM

Thanks charlieb, JP
Is there a way to ID the sawfly to species.
I also have a photo of the pupa and the sawfly that came form this larva.
Thank Dave

charlieb · #5 (**permalink**) 14-04-2009, 11:36 AM

According to "British Sawflies - A Key to the Adults of Genera Occuring in Britain" b Adam Wright,

Periclista albida is the commonest, P. lineolata has a "disjunct distribution between southern England and Southern Scotland and P. pubescens is a southern England species. All of them feed on Oak.

If you can get hold of a copy of the RES Handbook Volume 6 Part 2b then you may be able to key it out (but its over 50 years old and no-one seems to have it!).

Looking · #6 (**permalink**) 14-04-2009, 12:01 PM

Thanks charlieb
I keep coming to the same conclusions.
Can not find a way of distinguishing that larva.
They all feed on oak.
They all can be found in my location.
Can not find images of sawfly to compare.
Looks like I shall just have to give up at this level of Identification.
Thanks Dave

poschiavanus · #7 (**permalink**) 24-09-2011, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looking

Hi,
I am hoping that someone can ID this larva for me.
Photo was taken in E.Sussex on 14 May 2008 under an Oak tree.

Thanks Dave

I think this must be P. albida. It appears to have 5 annuli on each abdominal segment, with annuli 2 & 4 having many dorsal forked spines. There is a single spine on annulus 3, which should be unforked. Also pairs of spines above the legs, with the anterior one forked.

The other two species only have 4 annuli and looking at images on Flickr its appears that it is the annulus between the two bearing dorsal spines which is missing. The dorsal spines on P. pubescens have the base below the fork much longer than the tines, whilst P. lineola is the other way round.

Brief synopsis of the key from Lorenz & Kraus (1957: 129):

1. 5 annuli on abdominal segments, 2nd annulus with 3 forked spines, 3rd with one unforked spine. Head light with black spots....................albida
1a. 4 annuli on abdominal segments, 2nd annulus with 2 forked spines. Head mainly black............................................. ...................................2
2. Base of forked spines as long or slightly shorter than tines..........................................lineolata.
2. base of forked spines obviously longer than tines...........................................pubescens.