Scolioneura betuleti

Alternative names
Scolioneura vicina
Description

The larvae of the sawfly Scolioneura betuleti mine the leaves of Birch (Betula) species and those of Green Alder (Alnus viridis). 

Mines leaves in May - June and July to September.  The earlier generation was thought to be a different species, Scolioneura vicina, but it is now thought that they are the same species. 

The leaf mines are large and transparent, without much frass. The larvae have dark markings on the pronotum, two dark spots on the thorax underneath, black legs and dark crescent shaped marks along the ventral side of the abdomen.  The larvae lose pigmentation in the pre-pupal stage.

Similar Species

several other sawflies mine Birch leaves

Identification difficulty

Adult Leafmine (when host plant is identified)

ID checklist (your specimen should have all of these features)

Leaf mine photographs should be backlit so that the frass patterns and larva can be seen.  The host plant must be identified in the comments

Habitat

Tenanted leaf mines occur between August and October.

When to see it

Larval mines may be encountered when the larval foodplants are in leaf.

UK Status

Widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Probably frequent in Leicestershire and Rutland 

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species profile

Species group:
Sawflies
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hymenoptera
Family:
Tenthredinidae
Records on NatureSpot:
15
First record:
01/10/2017 (Calow, Graham)
Last record:
30/08/2024 (Calow, Graham)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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