Macrophya blanda (Fabricius, 1775)

Macek, Jan, 2012, About Macrophya parvula and larvae of several Central European Macrophya (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), Zootaxa 3487, pp. 65-76 : 66

Macrophya blanda (Fabricius, 1775)

( Figs. 1 , 7 , 13 )

Material examined. Bohemia centr.: Voznice (6151), 27.viii.2005, 1 larva on Rubus idaeus ; Czech karst PLA, Karlštejn NNR (6051): 19.ix.2010, 5 larvae on Rubus fruticosus , 1 male emerged 15.v.2011; 29.ix.2011, 1 larva on Rubus fruticosus .

Description of the last instar larva. Body length 16–19 mm; head yellow-brown with black spot on the occiput; antenna pale, clypeus with four setae, labrum with six setae; mandibles with two setae, stipes with 1 seta, palpifer with 3 setae.

The body in upper part green-grey, in lower part grey whitish with dark X-like dorsal pattern and W-like lateral pattern with black spots on the second annulet above the spiracle; the body surface is covered with tiny dark spinulae, which are grouped under the spiracle, in the lower part of subspiracular lobe, the anterior part of the surpedal lobe and the lower part of the second postspiracular lobe in the form of dark patches; abdominal segments with 7 dorsal annulets; annulets 2, 4 and 7 with conical warts bearing small stiff hooked bristles and 4 white conical tubercles (= glandubae); annulet 7 covered only with conical bristled warts; the first postspiracular lobe with one glanduba and 1 conical bristle; the second postspiracular lobe with one glanduba and two conical bristles; subspiracular lobe with one glanduba and 6–7 conical bristles; surpedal lobe with 11–13 setae and one conical bristle; prolegs bare; legs pale, coxa with black basal spot.

Notes on identification. Macrophya blanda larvae differ from the similar M. montana by the yellow-brown head with a black pattern on the occiput only and a different cuticular texture (see Figs. 7 and 12 ).

Bionomics. Silvicolous species. Deciduous and mixed forest with a shrub layer. Univoltine. Flight period from May to beginning of July; larval period from mid July to September. Host plants: Rubus idaeus , R. fruticosus . Larval development is very slow, lasting eight to ten weeks. The eonymph rests for a long time (two to three weeks) in the leaf litter before burrowing into the soil for hibernation.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 3. Macrophya Dahlbom, 1835, larvae: 1 — M. blanda (Fabricius, 1775): a—early instar (dorsal view); b—last instar (dorsal view); c—last instar (lateral view). 2 — M. diversipes (Schrank, 1782): a—last instar (dorsolateral view); b—last instar (lateral view); c—last instar (dorsal view). 3 — M. annulata (Geoffroy, 1785): a—last instar (lateral view); b—last instar (dorsal view). Scale: for last instar larva: 10 mm.; for early instar larva: 5 mm.

FIGURES 7 – 12. Macrophya Dahlbom, 1835, head of larvae (frontal view): 7 — M. blanda (Fabricius, 1775); 8 — M. diversipes (Schrank, 1782); 9 — M. annulata (Geoffroy, 1785); 10 — M. rufipes (Linné, 1758); 11 — M. militaris (Klug, 1814); 12 — M. montana (Scopoli, 1763). Scale: 2 mm.

FIGURES 13 – 17. Macrophya Dahlbom, 1835, the cuticular surface sculpture of the third abdominal segment of larvae (lateral view); the white numbers indicate the order of the annulets of the abdominal segments (a—mounted larva from alcohol, b—living larva): 13 — M. blanda (Fabricius, 1775); 14 — M. diversipes (Schrank, 1782); 15 — M. rufipes (Linné, 1758); 16 — M. annulata (Geoffroy, 1785); 17 — M. montana (Scopoli, 1763). Scale: 1.5 mm.