ANIMALIA » INSECTA » HYMENOPTERA » SYMPHYTA (sawflies)
Family Tenthredinidae (common sawflies) » Subfamily Tenthredininae
___Macrophya montana (Scopoli, 1763)
Description of Adult
Length 9-11 mm. A fairly large sexually dimorphic sawfly where the female has yellow markings on the abdomen whilst the male is completely black. The legs of the female are predominantly yellow with black markings, where in the male the first two pairs of legs are pale yellow, while the hind legs are mainly black, but the tips of the tibias and part of the tarsi are white.
Life History
The larva feeds on dewberry and similar members of the blackberry family.
Flight Season, Habitat, Status & Distribution
The adults are seen May to June in the south, and August to September in northern Scotland. It is found in a variety of habitats where the foodplants grow. They feed on umbellifers, especially Hogweed. A locally common species.
All photographs copyright © Peter Hillman
Please see the ‘about‘ page for details on use of images
Nature Journeys 