Andrew Green

An all black sawfly, Dolerus anthracinus (common name Sooty Griever) sits on a white sweep net bag. A rare sawfly in Yorkshire, associated with good quality chalk grassland and found here at Frendal Dale in Millington Pastures, East Yorkshire.

2026 Sawfly season started for me today with 2 Sooty Grievers (Dolerus anthracinus) at Millington Pastures VC61. Associated with quality chalk grassland here and flies (very) early, so is it really as uncommon as 2 records in last 50 years suggests? @ynuorg.bsky.social #yorkshiresawflies #symphyta

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Does seem more likely.

Actually, just check it isn't Aproceros. Aproceros has an open anal vein in the hind wing and I can't quite see that area of the hind wing. Aprosthema has an enclosed anal cell in the hind wing

Where and when is it from Kieran?

Looks good for Aprosthema to me.

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Looks about right. They are called Nematus septentrionalis these days.

Difficult to be certain but looks like a cimbicidae sawfly larva rather than tenthredinidae.

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Says it sometimes feeds on Hazel.

Schreckensteinia festaliella?

Not 100% but fairly confident.

I can rule out sawfly. Looks lepidopteran.

A green caterpillar with white longitudinal stripes and a yellowish head with dark markings. Amongst brown conifer needles on a piece of white fabric.

What very much appears to be European Spruce Sawfly Gilpinia hercyniae, tapped from a spruce at the weekend. Apparently the first Kent record. #KentNature #sawfly #sawflies #Symphyta

www.sawflies.org.uk/hemichroa-au...

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Looks right.

Turns out the females were males and a Bracon species. Not yet to species level.

Potential ID from @gavinbroad.bsky.social as Proterops basalis which is a parasitoid of Arge species.

I revisited the Euura miliaris sawfly larva earlier today to find an ichneumon wasp working its way around them despite their efforts to defend themselves. Amazing how it holds its wings up to avoid being clobbered!

Forgot to #wasps

This presumed braconidae fooled me into thinking it was a sawfly for a moment. Two females feeding on pollen/nectar of Canadian Fleabane. Eyes not as good as they used to be. 🙄

Eversible coremata (scent-extruding organs)?

Sometimes big rewards come from minimal effort, something I have embraced this year.

Was a pleasure to be there when you found it. Only the second British record since 1970.

www.sawflies.org.uk/periclista-p...

A head on view of a large black beetle with very long serrated antennae

A top down view of the same beetle, showing the all black wing cases and legs

A close up on the head and jaws of the beetle, showing the large mandibles.

One of Britain's most formidable looking insects, a Tanner Beetle, sitting on the wall of a building at RSPB The Lodge today. #Cerambycidae

Top one is an Athalia and the bottom a Tenthredopsis. Can't get to species tho.