Tenthredo temula

Tenthredo temula is a sawfly species of the family Tenthredinidae (common sawflies), subfamily Tenthredininae.^[1]

Tenthredo temula
Male of Tenthredo temula
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Suborder:	Symphyta
Family:	Tenthredinidae
Genus:	Tenthredo
Species:	T. temula
Binomial name
Tenthredo temula Scopoli 1763
Synonyms
Tenthredo celtica Benson

Distribution

This sawfly is a Euro-siberian species, widespread in most of European countries.^[2]

Habitat

This species can be found in hedgerows and meadows.^[3][4]

Description

Female

The adults of Tenthredo temula are up to 10–13 millimetres (0.39–0.51 in) long.^[3] The thorax and head are brilliant black, clypeus, labrum and the base of mandibles are yellow, the abdomen is black with a transversal yellow band and a yellow tip. Femora and tibia are black in males, respectively black and yellow in females. The wings are brown and transparent, with brown veins and black stigma.^[4][5]

Biology

They can be encountered from May through late summer^[3][4] feeding on small insects and on nectar and pollen of flowers from various plants (mainly family Apiaceae, as Anthriscus sylvestris, Hogweed (Heracleum sphondylium), but also on Rubus fruticosus and Crataegus monogyna.^[3] Larvae develop on plants of the genus Ligustrum.