Small Selandria - Selandria serva
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Species Description
Widespread and fairly frequent throughout the UK. Habitat includes: grassland, meadows, field margins, marshes etc. Food plant: Various grasses, sedges and rushes. Length: 6 - 8 mm. Flight period: May to October. Differs from S. melanosterna in smaller size and 3rd antennal segment being shorter than the last 3 combined. There is also a third difference I've noticed in that S. melanosterna females have a pair of brown patches on the first tergite (visible when wings open) but they are absent in S. serva. The same is true for the males but the patches are more rectangular in shape and the rest of the tergites also often have markings (totally absent in S. serva).
Useful Links:
The Sawflies (Symphyta) of Britain and Ireland