Golden bee

Hedera · #1 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 05:22 PM

This bee was very sleepy, I think it had a damaged wing. Put it in the sun and it seemed to wake up a bit. Beautiful gold stripes.

ID anyone, please?

oxycera · #2 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 05:33 PM

Looks very similar to the sawfly posted by barber on the 6th April, Zaraea lonicerae, we thought.

Jason Green · #3 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 07:15 PM

Evening Hedera,

That one is a real stunner, with so much to look at. I wonder if he's young, a teneral if that word applies to Hymenopterans, and the wings are just opening up for the first time? They look a little straighter on the flower unless it's just the angle.

Take care,

Jason

Hedera · #4 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 08:06 PM

Hi Jason and oxycera, Been Googling around and I think it may a Hawthorn sawfly. The antennae look right. Presumably its a male as no ovipositor, it sat on my hand quite happily so perhaps it was just warming up to fly. It had gone when I looked later. All its legs were yellow.

oxycera · #5 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 08:13 PM

I've never seen a Trichiosoma that looked like that.

Hedera · #6 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 09:08 PM

Another view of this mystery:

Bugging me!!!

goosey · #7 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 09:34 PM

Hi Hedera, what about Abia Lonicerae, a sawfly

There is an old post on Wild about the World which caused a similar intrigue to your find

Bee and a hoverfly for ID please - Wild About The World
Shirley

Jason Green · #8 (**permalink**) 10-04-2010, 09:44 PM

Hedera, I'd go with John's ID (which is in-line with goosey's - same Cimbicidae family, although 'A. lonicerae' doesn't seem to be a UK species) - he knows his Sawflies!