Royal Scottish Museum's British Isles Hymenoptera collection. These specimens .... All Europe including England and Scotland. ... 21 July 1945, l#m, Farrinseer.
IRISH NATURALISTS JOURNAL
Reprinted from
Vol. 20 No. 8 (p. 309-356)
October, 1981
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RECORDS OF SOME IRISH SAWFLIES (HYMENOPTERA: SYMPHYTA) BASED ON MATERIAL IN THE ROYAL SCOTTISH MUSEUM, INCLUDING 12 SPECIES NEW TO IRELAND A. D
LISTON
99 Clermiston Road. Edinburgh M. C
D. SPEIGHT
Research Branch, Forest and Wildlife Service, Sidmonton Place. Brav. Co Wicklow Below are presented records of sawflies collected in Ireland which form part of the Royal Scottish Museum's British Isles Hymenoptera collection. These specimens are from three sources: those collected by Mr E. C Pelham-Clinton, those collected by Mr A. W. Stelfox and given to Mr R. C. Faris, and those collected by Faris himself. The majority of records published here concern insects collected by Faris. It was mostly on the material collected by Faris that Benson based his distributional notes published in the'Handbooks' (Benson 1951-58). Unfortunately, as was discussed by Speight and Möller (1979), Benson was inconsistent in his use of the term "Britain" This has led to some doubt as to whether certain species have been recorded in Ireland. The species affected in this way were listed by Speight and Möller (1979). Recent work on the Faris collection by one of us (A.D.L.) allows the Irish status of many species to be confirmed. It seems that Benson did not make full use of the collection. For instance, there are four female and one male Hemichroa australis (Lepeletier) collected as larvae on birch by Faris in Cavan The male bears a Benson determination labeland he had probably seen all of the specimens, since he frequently attached a det. label to just one of a series. However, in the "Handbooks' he clearly stated that the species was absent from Ireland. It was subsequently recorded from Ireland by Speight and Möller (1979). Benson obviously forgot to take notes on some of the insects in Faris's collection. Altogether there are 13 species and subspecies of sawfly represented by material at the Royal Scottish Museum which are unpublished as Irish in Benson (op. cit.), Möller (1975), Speight (1979), Speight and Möller (1979) and Stelfox (1929). These are as follows: Pamphiliidae Pamphilius hortorum bicinctus Benson Dipriomidae Monoctenus
juniperi
(L.)
Heterarthrinae Heterarthrus nemoratus (Fallen) Blennocampinae Empria alpina Benson Claremontia confusa (Konow)
C puncticeps (Konow) Fenella nigrita Westwood
Nematinae Pristiphora melanocarpa (Hartig) P. ruficornis (Olivier) P. punctifrons (Thomson)
Pontania proxima (Lepeletier) Nematus flavescens Stephens N. spiraeae Zaddach
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The nomenclature used both above and in the following records follows that of Kloet and Hincks (1978), apart from where it is specifically stated otherwise. The first section of records below gives data for the above species. The second part mostly contains new county records of some scarce species already recorded as Irish by Benson (op. cit.). Determinations were checked through Benson's keys. PART 1: NEW IRISH SPFXIES
Pamphilius hortorum bicinctus Benson Longford: 16 May 1948, l#m, Woodvilie, Lough Gourna. R.C.F. This is the northern, Scottish-Scandinavian subspecies of hortorum. The nominate subspecies hortorum has been found in Laois (Speight 1979) and Cavan (l#m , Virginia, 29 June 1940. R.C.F.). These records suggest that the distribution of the two subspecies in Ireland may not be as simple as the clear east-west division that there is between Scottish and English populations. Whether the two races arrived in Ireland at different entry points, or whether they entered at the same place but at different times after the last glaciation leaving bicinctus as a relic in the north is an intriguing question. More records would be of great interest. The larva of this species forms a leaf-roll on Rubus, usually raspberry growing in fairly open deciduous woods. Subspecies are not given species-group status by Kloet and Hincks (op. cit.). Monoctenus juniperi (L.) Galway: 21 May 1971, l#w, Ardrahan E C P-C Previously only known from the Spey Valley. Inverness. Larva on Juniperus Locally over much of northern and central Europe and also in Serbia. Subalpine in the Alps and the Mediterranean. Heterarthrus nemoratus (Fallen) Cavan: 29 May 1941, l#w, Nahillah Park. R.C.F. Larva a leaf-miner in birch. Adult Heterarthrus are often elusive because of heavy parasitisation of larvae. H. nemoratus occurs throughout north and central Europe and has been introduced to North America, where it is a serious pest of forest trees. A parthenogenetic species. Empria alpina Benson Clare: 24 May 1971, 4#m#m 2#w#w, Ballyvaughan. E.C.P-C. Arctic-alpine species remarkable in this genus for its small compound eyes. Described from specimens collected in the Scottish mountains and subsequently found in Finland and the Swiss Alps. The Burren must support many other interesting arctic-alpines not yet known from Ireland. Larva of E. alpina probably feeds on arctic Salix spp. Claremontia confusa (Konow) Cavan: 15 April 1942, l#w, Tunnel Hill, Ramore. 9 May 1942, l#w.Drumcarban. R.C.F. Roscommon: 12 May 1940, l#w, Lough Gara. R.C.F. Larva on Fragaria. Throughout Europe, but in Britain previously only recorded from southern England as a pest of cultivated strawberry. A parthenogenetic species. This and the next species previously stood in Monophadnoides. C. puncticeps (Konow) Wicklow: 26 April 1933, l#m, Golden Hill. A.W.S. Larva on Poterium sanguisorba (L.). Throughout temperate Palaearctic. All England and Scotland. This species was omitted from Kloet and Hincks (op. cit.). Fenella nigrita Westwood Dublin: July-August 1941-43, 4#w#w, Glenasmole. 21 July 1943, l#w, St. Anne's. 3 August
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1947, l#w, Gallierst'n. 3 August 1947, l#w, Sutton. A.W.S. Kildare: 20 July 1944, l#w, Royal Canal. A.W.S. Two British species are probably confused under this name at present. One mines the leaves of Potentilla reptans L., the other mines Agrimonia eupatoria L. This is the smallest British sawfly and is easily overlooked. Though it is multivoltine and appears early in spring, it is best looked for in late summer and autumn when populations have built up. Distributed throughout Europe. In Britain known only from southern England. Pristiphora melanocarpa (Hartig) Cavan: 2 May 1942, l#w, Drumcarban. R.C.F. Larva feeds on birch. All Europe including England and Scotland. P. ruficornis (Olivier) Cavan: April-July 1943-48, 3#m#m l#w, Farrinseer. 4 and 25 May 1943, 1#m2#w#w, Cauhoo. R.C.F. Larva on birch. Similar distribution to P. melanocarpa. P. punctifrons (Thomson) Cavan: 20 May 1942, l#m, Raheclan, Belturbet. R.C.F. Larva on Rosa spp. All Europe and east to Siberia. Pontania proxima (Lepeletier) Cavan: 18 May 1941, l#w. Lough Mentis. 1 October 1942, l#m, from gall on Salix alba, Drumaleun. R.C.F. This is the well known 'bean gall sawfly', the subject of Carleton's (1939) famous study. Larva in a gall on Salix alba L. and S. fragilis L. An almost completely parthenogenetic species, the males appearing rarely. Very common over northern and central Europe and introduced to North America (Benson 1962). Often confused with the equally common and closely related P. triandrae Benson which is monophagous on S. triandra L. Nematus flavescens Stephens Cavan: 2 May 1940, l#w, Farnham. 16 May 1940, l#m, Farnham. R.C.F. Roscommon: 11 May 1940, l#m, Rockingham. R.C.F. Also one female, probably Irish, bred from larva on Salix collected August 1941. Larva feeds on willows with rough leaves, northern and central Europe. N. spiraeae Zaddach Dublin: 10 June 1950. 21#w#w, larvae on Spiraea aruncus. Not native to Britain or Ireland, though now widespread in England and Scotland wherever Aruncus silvester (Kosl.) is grown in gardens. Native range extends over central and northern Europe and N Italy. In the wild it is typically found in damp woodland glades. A parthenogenetic species with rare male. PART 2: FURTHER RECORDS OF SOME SCARCE SPECIES
Dolerus possilensis Cameron Dublin: 22 May 1941, l#w, Glenasmole. A.W.S. Outside Britain only known in Finland and the Netherlands. Larva unknown. A parthenogenetic species. The Dublin record of this species published by Stelfox (1929) was overlooked by Speight and Möller (1979). Eutomostethus ephippium (Panzer) All the Irish specimens that we have seen (9#w#w)are of the black variety. In southern England most specimens have a red-marked thorax, but in Scotland most are black. A cline
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also exists on the continent, but in Turkey and Transcaucasia the typical form is replaced by ssp. vopiscus (Konow) which is more extensively red than the red variety of the typical race. While ssp. ephippium is entirely parthenogenetic, males predominate in ssp. vopiscus. Distributed in typical form throughout Europe, also Himalayas and introduced to North America. Monostegia abdominalis (F.) Cavan: 5#w#w from Farnham, Lough Annagh, Lough Mentis and Killykeen. R.C.F. Previously recorded from North and South Kerry (Benson op. cit.). Tenthredo obsoleta Klug West Mayo: 18 June 1936, l#w, The Mullet. A.W.S. Subarctic-subalpine species previously recorded from Cavan (Benson op. cit.). May not really be distinct from T. mesomela L. Pristiphora biscalis (Forster) Cavan: 2 May 1943, l#w, Killykeen. Benson (op. cit.) recorded this species from Wicklow. P. breadalbanensis (Cameron) Cavan: 7 May 1939, l#m, Slieve-na-Killa. Arctic-alpine species previously recorded from the Slieve Mish Range, S Kerry (Benson op. cit.). This insect and its close relatives, which are probably associated with Vaccinium or dwarf Salix, have similar distributions covering most of arctic Eurasia and North America. In Europe they are also found in the Alps, upland moor areas of Britain and in the low. moors of Denmark and north-west Germany, particularly Schleswig-Holstein. P. crassicornis (Hartig) Cavan: 21 May 1944, l#m, Loughaconnick. 10 August 1947, l#m, larva on Crataegus, Farrinseer. 21 July 1945, l#m, Farrinseer. R.C.F. Larva on Crataegus. Northern and western Europe including England and Scotland. This species was first recorded from Ireland by Stelfox (1929), who collected it in Co Wicklow. Benson (op. cit.) for some reason fails to mention the Stelfox record and implies that the species is unknown in Ireland. Amauronematus sagmarius Konow Cavan: 4 May 1941, 2#w#w , Lough Mentis, from Salix cinerea and S. atrocinerea. 10 May 1941, l#m, Brackley, Lough Bawnboy. Larva on Salix cinerea and S. atrocinerea. The majority of Amauronematus are northern species and Benson's (1958) records for many species merely show that collectors have been more active in southern England than elsewhere. A. sagmarius was previously recorded from Wicklow (Benson op. cit.). Phyllocolpa anglica (Cameron) Sligo: 15May 1949, l#w, Lough Gill. Previously recorded from Cavan by Benson(op. cit.). Larva a leaf-roller on Salix viminalis L. Now known from England, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and eastern Siberia.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wish to thank Mr E. C. Pelham-Clinton (Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh) for allowing the publication of these records.
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REFERENCES Benson, R. B. (1951-58) Hymenoptera Symphyta. Handb. Ident. Br. Insects 6 (2a-c), 252 pp + vi pp. R. ent. S o c . London. (1962) Holarctic Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta). Bull. Br Mus. nat. Hist., (Ent.) 12: 381-409. Carleton, M. (1939) The biology of Pontania proxima (Lep.), the bean-gall sawfly of willows. J. Linn. Soc, London (Zoo!.) 40: 575-624. Kloet, G. S. and Hincks, W. D. (1978)/! checklist ofBritish Insects, part 4: Hymenoptera, second edition. R. ent. Soc London 159 pp. Möller G J (1975) A list of Irish sawflies in the Ulster Museum, including a new record and a note on a teratological specimen of Hemichroa Steph. Ir Nat. J 18: 133-136. Speight, M C D (1979) Anoplonyx destructor, Hemerobius pini and Pamphilius hortorum: insects new to Ireland Ir Nat. J. 19: 302-303. and Möller. G. J. (1979) Amauronematus mundus, Hemichroa australis and Nematus brevivalvis sawflies new to Ireland, with notes on some other Irish sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta). Ir. Nat. J 19: 443-445. Stelfox, A. W S. (1929) Hymenoptera Tenthredinoidea. In: Praeger, R. L (ed.), Report on recent additions to the Irish Fauna and Flora (terrestrial and freshwater). Proc. R. Ir. Acad. 39B: 11-13.
