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Tag Archives: Sawfly

Agg is for aggregate

21 Thursday Jul 2022

Posted by sconzani in insects

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Tags

British sawflies, Sawfly, Tenthredo arcuata/brevicornis/notha/schaefferi agg., Tenthredo sawflies

Have you ever wondered why the abbreviation ‘agg.’ is used after the scientific names of some flora and fauna? Well, this particular sawfly is a prime example.

‘Agg.’ is short for aggregate and is used where there exists a group of species that are so closely related and difficult to distinguish from each other, that for practical biodiversity recording purposes they are considered one species. As the Nature Spot website explains

The four species within the Tenthredo arcuata complex are problematic to distinguish and the species boundaries are unclear. The complex within Britain and Ireland consists of the species T. arcuata, brevicornis, notha and schaefferi. Unless specimens have been microscopically examined by someone with suitable expertise, we have decided that they should be recorded as part of this aggregate.

So, the scientific name used for this rather cute little sawfly is quite a mouthful: Tenthredo arcuata/brevicornis/notha/schaefferi agg.

220721 Tenthredo arcuata brevicornis agg

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222/365 Black and gold

10 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Abia sericea, black and gold sawfly, British insects, British sawflies, Sawfly

This stunning creature might look like a bee but it’s actually a sawfly, a harmless creature that does not sting and is so-named because the female’s genitalia are capable of ‘sawing’, in vegetation, a hole in which she then lays her eggs.

190810 sawfly (1)

This particular sawfly may be Abia sericea, a sawfly whose larvae feed on scabious plants, particularly Devil’s-bit scabious, which is very abundant where I spotted this glistening creature.

190810 sawfly (2)
190810 sawfly (3)

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85/365 A day of firsts

26 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, ladybird, nature, spring

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

#365DaysWild, 7-spot ladybirds, bee-flies, Comma butterfly, Common Green Shieldbug, Dark-edged bee-fly, Peacock butterfly, Penarth Rail Trail, Sawfly, south Wales coastal path, Speckled wood

190326 (1) rail trail

I walked further than I intended today but I just couldn’t resist the sunshine, the calls of the birds, the bees and hoverflies buzzing all around, the white blossom and the vibrant green leaf growth … it was magical! Yesterday, I saw my first Peacock butterflies of the year and today I saw four more, plus my first two Speckled woods and my first Comma, my first Common green shieldbug and my first Dark-edged bee-flies, lots of them, and my first 7-spot ladybirds. It gladdens my heart to see so much new life emerging.

 

190326 (2) speckled wood
190326 (3) bee-fly
190326 (4) 7-spot ladybird
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
190326 (6) bee-fly
190326 (7) peacock
190326 (8) comma
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
190326 (11) bee-fly

190326 (12) coastal path

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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