| Abia sericea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female of Abia sericea feeding on Ferulago galbanifera | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Suborder: | Symphyta |
| Family: | Cimbicidae |
| Genus: | Abia |
| Species: | A. sericea |
| Binomial name | |
| Abia sericea (Linnaeus 1767) | |
Abia sericea, common name club horned sawfly or scabious sawfly, is a species of sawflies belonging to the family Cimbicidae. [1]
This species can be found in most of European countries. [2] It mainly occurs in wet meadows and forests, but its narrow habitat is restricted to the range of its host plant. [3] [4] [5]
Abia sericea can reach a length of 10–12 millimetres (0.39–0.47 in). [3] The adults have a large body with a showy metallic green-golden or bronze abdomen. The thorax is black, with bluish sheen and it is slightly hairy. Wings are transparent, with brown markings in the middle. Antennae are yellow-reddish, while other species in this genus have totally or partially black antennae. Legs are yellow, with black thighs at their base. [6] [7]
Adults can be seen from May to October feeding on nectar of Devil's-bit Scabious ( Succisa pratensis ), of Ferulago galbanifera (syn. F. campestris) and of the giant fennel ( Ferula communis ). [3]
Larva can reach a length of about 30 millimetres (1.2 in). They have a sandy background colour with black and yellow spots. They are oligophagous, mainly feeding between June and September on Devil's-bit Scabious ( Succisa pratensis ), Field Scabious ( Knautia arvensis ), cream scabious ( Scabiosa ochroleuca ) and on various Dipsacus species. [8] [4] [5]
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