Image above courtesy of Connor Margetts (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 Neoeurys

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

• most species (15/20) have a metallic coloured thorax

• antennae filiform with flagellum longer than breadth of head

• antenna with 10-14 segments

• antenna inserted well below level of middle of eyes

• first transverse vein received before the middle of the discoidal cell

(Note that the recent combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic study of Schmidt and Walter, 2014 suggests that the separation of Neoeurys and Eurys is unjustified and that these taxa should be combined into a single genus).

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 Neoeurys species, click on the name of that species in the list below. (Species without a link have no RG observations at this time).

Neoeurys affinis Neoeurys aurora Neoeurys brevivalis Neoeurys carbonarius Neoeurys caudatus Neoeurys erectus Neoeurys evansi Neoeurys fuscus Neoeurys inconspicuous Neoeurys leai Neoeurys leptocoleum Neoeurys metallicus Neoeurys niger Neoeurys pusillus Neoeurys scutellatus Neoeurys tasmanicus Neoeurys trochilus Neoeurys turneri Neoeurys variabilis Neoeurys ventralis

Neoeurys sp.

Neoeurys variabilis

References:

• Forsius, R. 1927. On some sawflies from the Australian Region (Hymenoptera Tenthredinidae). Records of the South Australian Museum 3: 283-308.

• 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

• Rohwer, S.A. 1910. Some Australian sawflies. Entomological News 21: 467-474

• Rohwer, S.A. 1918. Notes on and descriptions of some sawflies from the Australian Region. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (Ser. 9) 2: 433-440.

• Schmidt, S. & Walter, G.H. 2014. Young clades in an old family: Major evolutionary transitions and diversification of the eucalypt-feeding pergid sawflies in Australia (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Pergidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 74: 111-121

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.