Diptera.info

Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Sawfly

Posted by Roger Thomason on 15-04-2009 01:06

Found in the garden yesterday..is an ID possible?

Posted by jorgen on 16-04-2009 12:23

It looks like Dolerus sp to me.

Posted by Roger Thomason on 17-04-2009 00:25

Hi Jorgen
Well I've had 1 vote for Tenthredinidae Dolerinae, and 1 going further to Dolerus sp. coming out of Belgium. I only have 1 species on my Checklist which is Nematus ribesii and this doesn't match up to that one. So that would make this an unrecorded species for Shetland :)....another one.
Regards Roger

Edited by Roger Thomason on 17-04-2009 00:29

Posted by Juergen Peters on 17-04-2009 01:52

Hello, Roger!

It is Dolerus sp.. There were hundreds of them here in the last few weeks. The completely black species (about 20 of them here in Germany, presumably less on the Shetlands) cannot be identified after photos. The larvae feed on grasses.

Posted by Roger Thomason on 17-04-2009 20:34

Hi Juergen
Thanks for the confirmation...nice photo's too. I didn't get a chance to get close enough to my one to get good pics, but did get some good ones last year, so this species might be residents now. Not much insect life here yet as there is a cold strong easterly wind, so the ones I do see I can't get focussed on properly :|. Roll on summer.
Regards Roger

Edited by Roger Thomason on 17-04-2009 20:35

Posted by Juergen Peters on 17-04-2009 20:58

Hello, Roger!

Roger Thomason wrote:
Not much insect life here yet as there is a cold strong easterly wind, so the ones I do see I can't get focussed on properly :|. Roll on summer.

We had a perfect spring and easter this year here in Germany :D, temperatures between 21 and 26 �C in the last two weeks (today is has become somewhat colder, only 16-17 �C, but still mostly sunny). Many records for earlyness in insect life 2009... ;)

Posted by Roger Thomason on 17-04-2009 21:06

Hi Juergen
About 8C here today with 20+Kts wind to lessen it even more. The only thing I could photograph that wasn't on terra firma was a Large LPG Tanker with a Tug going up the Sound en route to the Oil Terminal at Sullom Voe. No point posting those photo's here though, Can't disguise one of them as a fly...:)..painted bright orange.