common sawflies
(Dolerus spp.)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
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Description |
All Dolerus species are either entirely black or are black with some red on the thorax, abdomen, and/or legs. Some species vary considerably between individuals in the amount of red or even the presence of any red. The surface of the head is distinctly pitted (punctate). The antennae are thread-like and have 7 to 10 segments (flagellomeres) beyond the scape and pedicel at the base. The lower margin of the plate on the face (clypeus) above the upper lip is distinctly concave. The distance between the base of the mandible and the lower margin of the compound eye is called the malar space. The minimum malar space is more than one-third as wide as the antennal socket. The thorax and abdomen are broadly connected, not slender and waist-like. There is a clear separation between the rear exoskeletal plate on the side of the thorax (metapleuron) and the first segment (tergite) on the abdomen. The thorax has three segments, each with an upper (dorsal) plate: the pronotum on the prothorax (front segment); the mesonotum, which includes the mesoscutum and the mesoscutellum, on the mesothorax (middle segment); and the metanotum, which includes the metascutum and the metascutellum, on the metathorax (rear segment). The mesoscutellar appendage, also called the postscutellum, is a separate plate that lies behind the mesoscutellum and in front of the metanotum. The mesoscutellar appendage is long and is clearly outlined on the sides. This is a feature of all common sawflies (family Tenthredinidae). On the wings, the Rs+M vein is strongly curved, the anal cross vein is oblique, and there is no 2r-m vein between cells 1RS and 2RS. This combination is unique to the genus Dolerus. |
Distribution |
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| 8/3/2025 | ||
Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) |
Suborder |
Symphyta (sawflies, horntails, and wood wasps) |
Superfamily |
Tenthredinoidea (typical sawflies) |
Family |
Tenthredinidae (common sawflies) |
Subfamily |
Selandriinae |
Tribe |
Dolerini |
Subordinate Taxa |
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black griever (Dolerus niger) black-tailed weeper (Dolerus junci) bloody griever (Dolerus haematodes) bronze griever (Dolerus aeneus) coarse griever (Dolerus asper) coarse weeper (Dolerus bimaculatus) common sawfly (Dolerus aericepsellus) common sawfly (Dolerus agcistus) common sawfly (Dolerus alpinus) common sawfly (Dolerus anthracinus) common sawfly (Dolerus apricus) common sawfly (Dolerus aprilis) common sawfly (Dolerus bajulus) common sawfly (Dolerus bensoni) common sawfly (Dolerus bicolor) common sawfly (Dolerus blanki) common sawfly (Dolerus collaris) common sawfly (Dolerus cothurnatus) common sawfly (Dolerus cothurnatus) common sawfly (Dolerus elderi) common sawfly (Dolerus eurybis) common sawfly (Dolerus frigidus) common sawfly (Dolerus frisoni) common sawfly (Dolerus genucinctus) common sawfly (Dolerus gibbosus) common sawfly (Dolerus gonager) common sawfly (Dolerus hibernicus) common sawfly (Dolerus illini) common sawfly (Dolerus incisus) common sawfly (Dolerus konowi) common sawfly (Dolerus laevigatus) common sawfly (Dolerus liogaster) common sawfly (Dolerus madidus) common sawfly (Dolerus mimus) common sawfly (Dolerus moramus) common sawfly (Dolerus nasutus) common sawfly (Dolerus nauticus) common sawfly (Dolerus neoagcistus) common sawfly (Dolerus neocollaris) common sawfly (Dolerus nimbosus) common sawfly (Dolerus nivatus) common sawfly (Dolerus nocuus) common sawfly (Dolerus nortini) common sawfly (Dolerus planatus) common sawfly (Dolerus possilensis) common sawfly (Dolerus puncticollis) common sawfly (Dolerus sanguinicollis) common sawfly (Dolerus schmidti) common sawfly (Dolerus schulthessi) common sawfly (Dolerus sericeus) common sawfly (Dolerus similis) common sawfly (Dolerus subarcticus) common sawfly (Dolerus tejoniensis) common sawfly (Dolerus tibialis) common sawfly (Dolerus uliginosus) common sawfly (Dolerus versus) common sawfly (Dolerus zhelochovtsevi) dark-winged weeper (Dolerus germanicus) drab griever (Dolerus nigratus) dull-foot weeper (Dolerus gilvipes) early sawfly (Dolerus unicolor) Eversman’s weeper (Dolerus eversmanni) Gessner’s weeper (Dolerus gessneri) Harwood’s griever (Dolerus harwoodi) keeled lamenter (Dolerus varispinus) large weeper (Dolerus pratensis) raven griever (Dolerus coracinus) red-backed weeper (Dolerus aericeps) rusty mournewr (Dolerus ferrugatus) saltmarsh mourner (Dolerus pachycerus) shining griever (Dolerus nitens) shorthorn griever (Dolerus brevicornis) small weeper (Dolerus pratorum) smoky griever (Dolerus fumosus) spike-rush mourner (Dolerus anticus) tar-foot griever (Dolerus picipes) triplex mourner (Dolerus triplicatus) vestigial weeper (Dolerus vestigialis) woolly lamenter (Dolerus stygius) Yulon weeper (Dolerus yukonensis) |
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Synonyms |
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Achaetoprion Cyperolerus |
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Common Names |
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This genus has no common name. The common name for the family Tenthredinidae is common sawflies, and it is applied here for convenience. |
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Glossary
Clypeus
On insects, a hardened plate on the face above the upper lip (labrum).
Flagellomere
A segment of the whip-like third section of an insect antenna (flagellum).
Mesonotum
The principal exoskeletal plate on the upper (dorsal) part of the middle segment of the thorax of an insect.
Pronotum
The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.
Punctate
Dotted with pits (punctures), translucent sunken glands, or colored spots of pigment.
Tergite
The upper (dorsal), hardened plate on a segment of the thorax or abdomen of an arthropod or myriapod.
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Dan W. Andree |
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This is the one I seen at Twin Valley Prairie SNA recently. It looks like it has maybe got pollen or some spider silk stuff on it. There was a lot of little spider web sting like things on plants in that area. It was maybe a half inch or just slightly over. |
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Just kept feeding and once in a while look at me for a couple seconds then go back to feeding. I was upwind from it so I am sure it smelled my sunscreen, deodorant etc. … They don't seem to mind people and it eventually flew away. |
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Other Videos |
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Genus Dolerus |
About
Mar 31, 2025 A couple of sawflies found just by the parking lot, not sure what they were when I found them so not sure on species or anything, link to iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/people/underth... |
Dolerus sp. Sawfly Saved From Drowning. |
About
Mar 31, 2022 Yesterday, I found three of these little black sawflies at risk of drowning in our pool. Of course I was happy to retrieve them. This one took a bit longer to dry off, but was happy to live another day. |
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Dan W. Andree |
Location: Location: Twin Valley Prairie SNA Just kept feeding and once in a while look at me for a couple seconds then go back to feeding. I was upwind from it so I am sure it smelled my sunscreen, deodorant etc. … They don't seem to mind people and it eventually flew away. |
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Created: 8/3/2025 Last Updated: © MinnesotaSeasons.com. All rights reserved. |