Life in a Southern Forest

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Clarissa species identification

Paul Whitington

Image above courtesy of Ellura Sanctuary (iNaturalist observation) CC-BY

Workbook

Note: This is a “work in progress”. Changes may be made as I discover additional relevant information.

Identification of species in genus Clarissa

The matrix below is designed to aid identification of species in the genus Clarissa, which has the following diagnostic features (see Euryinae genera matrix for diagrams illustrating these features):

  • most species (11/13) have a non-metallic black, red or brown thorax

  • antenna simple or slightly serrated with between 8 to 14 segments

  • upper edge of antennal socket near middle of eyes

  • first transverse vein received before middle of discoidal cell

Click on the matrix to download a pdf version. Images from authoritative sources of selected species follow as a further aid.

To view iNaturalist Research Grade observations of a particular Clarissa species, click on the name of that species in the list below. (Species without a link have no RG observations at this time).

Clarissa antennata Clarissa atrata Clarissa bensoni Clarissa divergens Clarissa divergens Clarissa flammea Clarissa flavicornis Clarissa hebe Clarissa lucida Clarissa ruficollis Clarissa tasbates Clarissa thoracica Clarissa wilsoni Clarissa sp.

Clarissa wilsoni

References:

  • Benson, R.B. 1935. New Australian sawflies (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 10: 211-229.

  • Morice, F.D. 1919. Notes on Australian sawflies, especially the “Authors' Types” and other specimens in the British Museum of Natural History and the Hope Collections of the Oxford University Museum; with diagnostic synopses of the genera and species, and photographs illustrating their structural characters. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 66: 247-333, pls XI-XV.

  • 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). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 82: 461-478.

  • Benson, R.B. 1938. Some new Australian sawflies of the subfamily Euryinae (Pergidae) (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 2: 358-365.

  • Kirby, W.F. 1894. Descriptions of one new genus and six new species of Hymenoptera Terebrantia from Queensland. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (6) 14: 45-47

  • Turner, G. 1900. Two new species of phytophagous Hymenoptera belonging to the families Oryssidae and Tenthredinidae, with notes on other sawflies. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 25: 514-518.Naumann 1997

  • Benson, R.B. 1963. Some new Western Australian sawflies of the Euryinae and Phylacteophaginae (Hymenoptera, Pergidae). Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Western Australia 46: 81-84.

  • Naumann, I.D. 1997. A remarkable, new Australian sawfly with brachypterous, nocturnal or crepuscular females (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Pergidae). Journal of Natural History 31:1335-1346.

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.