Arge pagana

Species of sawfly

Arge pagana
Arge pagana. Dorsal view
Side view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Symphyta
Family: Argidae
Genus: Arge
Species:
A. pagana
Binomial name
Arge pagana
(Panzer, 1798)
Synonyms
  • Arge rosae[1]
  • Tenthredo pagana Panzer, 1798

Arge pagana is a sawfly in the family Argidae. It is known by the name "large rose sawfly" although the related species Arge ochropus is also known by this name.

Subspecies

  • Arge pagana pagana (Panzer, 1798) [2]
  • Arge pagana stephensii (Leach, 1817) [3] (British Isles)

Distribution

This species can be found in the Palearctic realm.[4]

Description

Arge pagana can reach a length of about 1 cm. Wings and veins on the wings are black, often with blue metallic sheen. Pronotum and legs are also black. Its most conspicuous feature is a large rounded yellow abdomen. It has a black head and thorax and the legs are largely black. Larvae reach about 25 mm and are pale green with black dots and a yellow head.[5]

Biology

The eggs are laid on roses. Larvae appear in early summer and reach full size by the end of July.[5] The larvae are gregarious and live in colonies feeding on rose leaves (Rosa species, Rosa acicularis).[6]

The pupal period is very short. Adults feed on nectar and pollen from Tanacetum vulgare and Heracleum sphondylium. During the warmer years there may be two or, rarely, three generations.

  • A. p. stephensii, Oxfordshire. laying eggs, the ovipositor can just be seen between the rear legs.
    A. p. stephensii, Oxfordshire. laying eggs, the ovipositor can just be seen between the rear legs.
  • Scar on the shoot of rose after the hatching of eggs
    Scar on the shoot of rose after the hatching of eggs
  • Larva
    Larva

References

  1. ^ Biolib
  2. ^ A. p. pagana at Fauna europaea
  3. ^ A. p. stephensii at Fauna europaea
  4. ^ Fauna Europaea
  5. ^ a b Bulletin de la Société des sciences naturelles de l'Ouest de la France, 1902
  6. ^ Funet
  • A.Ramel LES TENTHREDES (in French)
  • la TENTHRÈDE du ROSIER (Arge pagana) (in French)
Taxon identifiers
Arge pagana


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