Sawfly?

sebastianbawn · #1 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 09:39 PM

This guy was only about 10-12mm. Appears to me like a sawfly? but I may be wrong, any help appreciated.
Near a hedgerow and stream, Bristol

Jason Green · #2 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 09:49 PM

Looks like Turnip Sawfly Athalia rosae, Seb?

sebastianbawn · #3 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 10:00 PM

Looks good Jason. Only thing thats bugging me is usually it has an orange thorax with two black shoulder pads, where as this guy seems to have an all black thorax. any reasons for this?

Jason Green · #4 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 10:03 PM

Yup - me ID may be wrong!

Can anyone help out here?

sebastianbawn · #5 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 10:07 PM

I think you are right Jason. I have seen both types labelled as Athalia rosae on google. Just wondered if this was a different colour form, hmm...may need to do some more searching i think. Thanks for putting me on the right track

oxycera · #6 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 10:10 PM

try Selandria serva

JRsbugs · #7 (**permalink**) 26-05-2009, 10:10 PM

Athalia circularis Tenthredinidae

Janet

sebastianbawn · #8 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 04:44 PM

This is a tough one! Athalia circularis doesn't seem to be very popular on the web, cant find many images or text. Does anyone know the differences between Athalia circularis and Selandria serva ?

oxycera · #9 (**permalink**) 27-05-2009, 05:31 PM

Selandria and Athalia belong to different tribes and are technically quite different, but superficially they can look rather similar. One characteristic of the Selandriinae is the recurved base of the vein Rs + M. You can actually see this vein - and it doesn't look recurved

, so I think my original suggestion is incorrect. Also, the legs of Selandria serva are all yellow - which is not the case in this photo.
It does appear to be an Athalia, then, possibly circularis=lineolata, but these are fiddly things to identify, even under the microscope