Length: 7 to 8 mm. Orange bodied with a black head and thorax. The dark wing stigma doesn't extend across all of the wing and is more spot-like. Legs are yellow with a dark band at the apices, except the hind femora which are all black..

Superficially similar to the Bramble Sawfly, Arge cyanocrocea, but in this species the dark stigma is larger and creates a band across both wings, also the hind femora usually have some yellow at the base.

• long final antennal segment
• orange abdomen
• black thorax
• clear intercostal
• hind femora are all black
• hind tibiae are yellow with an apical black band

Check that the intercostal is clear and the hind femora are all black.

Found in areas where Hawthorn is present.

Summer.

Associated with Hawthorn.

Infrequent and local in Britain and with a very southerly distribution.

Rare in Leicestershire and Rutland. The Leire record of 8th July 2012 is the first record for VC55.

https://www.sawflies.org.uk/arge-melanochra/