This sawfly, Tenthredo sp. (probably T. mesomelas ) like other sawflies belongs to the order Hymenoptera which includes ants, bees, wasps and ichneumon flies. Sawflies are plant eating insects and the female lays her eggs inside the plant host. This is aided by the female having a saw-like structure on the ovipositor which is used to cut through the plant tissue. Both body shape and wing venation closely resemble ancestral forms found in fossil records that date back as far as the Triassic Period (200 million years ). The image above was taken in grassland at Brockhole Wetlands, Lancashire, 5/6/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment