Macrophya diversipes (Schrank, 1782)

Macek, Jan, 2012, About Macrophya parvula and larvae of several Central European Macrophya (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), Zootaxa 3487, pp. 65-76 : 66-68

Macrophya diversipes (Schrank, 1782)

( Figs. 2 , 8 , 14 )

Material examined. Bohemia centr.: Příbram distr., Lazec (6349), 24.vii.2005, 2 larvae on Rubus fruticosus ; Praha distr., Prokopské údolí (valley) (5952), 10.ix.2005, 3 larvae on Fragaria viridis ; Praha, Zlíchov (5952), 11.x.2004, 1 larva on Fragaria viridis ; Czech karst PLA, Karlštejn NNR (6051), 10.ix.2010, 6 larvae on Fragaria viridis , 1 larva on Rubus caesius . Bohemia or.: Hradčany env., Báň NR (5857), 8.ix.2005, 3 larvae on Fragaria Description of the last instar larva. Body length 16–18 mm; head yellow-brown with a black spot on the occiput, a large transverse black macula above the frons and a small black spot on the back of the temples; the large frontal macula is often confluent with the black neck spot; antenna pale, clypeus with four setae, labrum with six setae, mandibles with two setae, stipes with 1 seta, palpifer with 3 setae.

Upper part of the body yellow-grey, the dorsal part darker than the ventral part, dorsum with a dark, double-X pattern subdorsally and a lateral row of dark spots; above the spiracle a small black round spot; coxae, spiracular, subspiracular and suprapedal lobes with black spots; the surface sculpture granulose; the abdominal segments with seven annulets; annulets 2, 4 and 7 with numerous conical warts bearing enlarged short, stiff bristles; annulets 2 and 4 with three to four conical glandubae; the first postspiracular lobe with one conical glanduba and 5 conical bristles; the second postspiracular lobe with one glanduba and six conical bristles; subspiracular lobe with one glanduba and 10–13 conical and spiny bristles combined; surpedal lobe with 11–13 spiny bristles; prolegs bare; legs pale, coxae with black basal spots.

Notes on identification. The larva of M. diversipes is similar to the larva of M. annulata but differs by the granulose surface sculpture (in M. annulata the surface sculpture is spinulate and tuberculate) and short enlarged bristles on the annulets 2, 4 and 7 (in M. annulata the bristles are hairlike). Moreover, M. diversipes is associated with Fragaria and Rubus , M. annulata with Rosa .

Bionomics. Xerophilous species. Dry shrubby grasslands. Univoltine. Flight period from May to the beginning of July; larval period from mid July to mid October. Host plants: Rosa sp. ( Pschorn-Walcher & Altenhofer 2006), Fragaria viridis (new record), Rubus fruticosus (new record), Rubus caesius (new record); in captivity larvae also accepted Potentilla reptans . Larval development is very slow, lasting up to eight weeks. The eonymph rests for a long time (two to three weeks) on the underside of the leaves of various herbs or in the 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.