Abia sericea

Abia sericea
Female of Abia sericea feeding on Ferulago campestris
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Symphyta
Superfamily: Tenthredinoidea
Family: Cimbicidae
Genus: Abia
Species: A. sericea
Binomial name
Abia sericea
(Linnaeus 1767)

Abia sericea, common name Club Horned Sawfly or Scabious Sawfly, is a species of sawflies belonging to the family Cimbicidae.[1]

Description

Larvae of Abia sericea

Abia sericea can reach a length of 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in).[2] The adults have a large body with a showy metallic green-golden or bronze abdomen. The thorax is black, with bluish sheen and it is slightly hairy. Wings are transparent, with brown markings in the middle. Antennae are yellow-reddish, while other species in this genus have totally or partially black antennae. Legs are yellow, with black thighs at their base. [3][4]

Adults can be seen from May to October feeding on nectar of Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), of Ferulago campestris and of the Giant Fennel (Ferula communis).[2]

Larva can reach a length of about 30 millimetres (1.2 in). They have a sandy background colour with black and yellow spots. They are oligophagous, mainly feeding between June and September on Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), cream scabious (Scabiosa ochroleuca ) and on various Dipsacus species. [5][6][7]

Distribution and habitat

This species can be found in most of European countries. [8] It mainly occurs in wet meadows and forests, but its narrow habitat is restricted to the range of its host plant. [2][6][7]

References

Wikispecies has information related to: Abia sericea
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abia sericea.
  1. ↑ Biolib
  2. 1 2 3 Commanster
  3. ↑ Nature Spot
  4. ↑ Charles Frederick Partington The British Encyclopædia of Natural History
  5. ↑ John Grearson Recording some easily-identified sawfly larvae in Wiltshire
  6. 1 2 Harizanova V, Stoeva A, Rector B (2012) Host range testing and biology of Abia sericea (Cimbicidae), a candidate for biological control of invasive teasels (Dipsacus spp.) in North America. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 28: 1-11.
  7. 1 2 Study on the biology of Abia sericea (L.) (Hymenoptera: Cimbicidae) - a candidate for biological control of teasel (Dipsacus spp.).
  8. ↑ Fauna Europaea

External links


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