Workbook

Observations on a female specimen of Eurys aglaia received from Kerry Stuart. Collected in August 2024 at Monadnocks Conservation Park, WA.

Features of this specimen are compared to the original description of Eurys aglaia (Benson, 1963) as well as those diagnostic for the genus Eurys (marked with +) as given by Benson (1934, 1938, 1963).

Cupreous with violaceous reflections on head and mesonotum
Antennae 10-segmented, infuscate
+Tongue strongly elongate (ligula and mentum together longer than front tibia)
White line along lateral margin of 2nd to 7th tergites
Length 5mm (4.25 body length, 5.5 to tip of wings)
Infuscate on femora (except apices), trochanters and apices of tarsomeres

+Maxillary palp shorter than greatest measure of eye
+Antennal sockets touching middle of eye
Infuscate on front of clypeus
Apices of mandibles brown, base brown
Labrum ivory white
Malar space X0.3 distance between antennal sockets
Head clothed with dense fine pubescence

Hind ocelli about as far apart as from hind margin of head
Head and thorax with microsculpture between dense punctures
Antennae 10-segmented, subclavate, longer than breadth of head (1.2:1.0)
+Flagellar segments of antennae simple
Only 9th antennal segment broader than long

+Anal cell of forewing petiolate and closed apically.
+First transverse vein received approximately at the middle of the discoidal cell.
+Hindwing with large ‘apical’ cell (obvious space between radial cell and wing margin)
+Cell Rs of hindwing with base closed (cross-vein l r-m complete)
+Cell Rs of hindwing about as far from cell M+Cu as the length of its own base (l r-m)
wings hyaline, stigma and costa pale brown, rest of venation brown to piceous

+Hind basitarsus shorter than 3 following tarsal segments together.
+Inner hind tibial spur longer than apical breadth of hind tibia.
Infuscate on femora (except apices), trochanters and apices of tarsomeres
Underside of abdomen clothed with dense, fine pubescence
Abdomen with dense transverse striae
White line along the lateral margin of 2nd to 7th tergites
Sheath and saw as in Benson (1934), Figs.5a,b

Conclusion:

This specimen shows all of the features of Eurys aglaia matching Benson’s description of that species, as well as his features for the genus Eurys.

References:

Benson, R.B. (1934) A classification of the sawflies of the family Pterygophoridae, with a revision of the Australian members of the subfamily Euryinae (Hymenoptera, Symphyta) Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond 82: 461-478.

Benson, R.B. (1938) On the classification of sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Trans. Roy. Ent. Soc. Lond 87: 353-384.

Benson, R.B. (1963) Some New Western Australian Sawflies of the Euryinae and Phylacteophaginae (Hymenoptera, Pergidae) J. Roy. Soc. WA 46: 81-84.

This is a workbook page … a part of our website where we record the observations and references used in making species identifications. The notes will not necessarily be complete. They are a record for our own use, but we are happy to share this information with others.