Paul WhitingtonOctober 05, 2026Batch 7

Pergagrapta polita (PERGINAE) PW112

Paul WhitingtonOctober 05, 2026Batch 7

Workbook

Detailed description of an adult female Pergagrapta polita reared from a clutch of larvae collected by James Peake at Frankston, VIC on 20/8/2025 (see this iNaturalist observation).

Adult eclosed on 4/4/2026, shown in this iNaturalist observation.

Notes accompanying these images were taken from the original description by Leach (1817) and a revision by Benson (1939) as well as iNaturalist observations. The latter reveal variation in features which were not apparent in the small number of type specimens used for the original descriptions.

Pergagrapta polita PW112

female, PW112

iNaturalist observation - @jimbobo
habitus lateral view
- all body parts with a chestnut and yellow colour combination
- vertex chestnut and yellow, genae yellow
- pronotum yellow with chestnut stripe anteriorly
- mesopleurae yellow, densely punctured
- mesoscutum chestnut and yellow
- abdomen chestnut with row of lateral white blotches
- scutellum yellow
- legs yellow with mid and hind femora chestnut
- costa and stigma chestnut

female, PW112

iNaturalist observation - @jimbobo
- antennae yellowish brown with yellow club
- vertex chestnut in postocellar area, yellow laterally
- genae yellow
- frons chestnut; antennal tubercles, inner orbit yellow
- clypeus and labrum yellow
- mandibles chestnut with black tips
- pronotum yellow with chestnut stripe anteriorly
- mesopleurae yellow
- mesoscutum chestnut and yellow; strongly arched dorsally
- abdomen chestnut with row of lateral white blotches
- scutellum yellow
- legs yellow with mid and hind femora chestnut

female, PW112

iNaturalist observation - @jimbobo
habitus dorsal view
- antennae yellow
- vertex chestnut in post-ocellar area, yellow laterally
- mesoscutum chestnut, densely punctured with yellow, unpunctured teardrop at rear of middle lobe
- scutellum yellow, unpunctured
- forewings pale yellow hyaline; costa, stigma chestnut
- legs yellow with dorsal side of fore femur and whole mid and hind femora chestnut

female, PW112

habitus dorsal view pinned insect
- antennae yellow
- mesoscutum chestnut with yellow, unpunctured teardrop at rear of middle lobe
- scutellum yellow, unpunctured
- forewings pale yellow hyaline; costa, stigma, venation dark yellow
- abdomen dorsum solid chestnut

female, PW112

pinned insect, dorsal view; body length 18.6mm
- antennae solid yellow
- vertex chestnut in post-ocellar area, yellow laterally; unpunctured, pilose with short yellow hairs
- mesoscutum chestnut, densely punctured with yellow, unpunctured teardrop at rear of middle lobe
- scutellum yellow, unpunctured, glabrous; medial furrow very distinct, growing wider towards base; hind lobes large, chestnut
- hindwings hyaline; costa chestnut; yellow venation
- abdomen chestnut mottled with black

female, PW112

forewings pale yellow hyaline; costa, stigma and veins chestnut

female, PW112

head, thorax dorsal view
- antennae solid yellow
- vertex chestnut in post-ocellar area, yellow laterally; unpunctured, pilose with short yellow hairs
- pronotum yellow, densely punctured, pilose with very short golden hairs
- mesoscutum chestnut, densely punctured; middle lobe pilose with short yellow hairs; yellow unpunctured, glabrous teardrop at rear of middle lobe; lateral sides of lateral lobes yellow and chestnut
- tegula chestnut
- scutellum yellow, unpunctured, glabrous; medial furrow very distinct, growing wider towards base; hind lobes large, chestnut; anterior yellow and chestnut lateral extensions towards tegulae

female, PW112

frontal view head
- antennae solid yellow, tips of club pale yellow
- post-ocellar area of vertex chestnut, yellow laterally; finely punctured and sparsely pilose laterally with short golden hairs
- face chestnut with yellow antennal tubercles and inner orbits
- clypeus yellow, broadly emarginate
- labrum yellow with long hairs at lower border
- mandibles chestnut with black tips

female, PW112

- scutellum yellow with large chestnut hind lobes
- midline furrow very deep
- glabrous weakly punctured with deep punctures laterally and adjacent to midline furrow
- anterior yellow and chestnut lateral extensions towards tegulae

female, PW112

dorsal view head and pronotum
- antennae yellow but tinged brown dorsally
- antennal tubercles yellow
- vertex with deep midline furrow extending to front ocellus; postocellar area chestnut, pilose laterally with short, golden hairs, glabrous centrally; laterally yellow with sparse, short golden hairs medially and glabrous laterally
- anterior edge of pronotum chestnut
- inner orbits yellow

female, PW112

- genae yellow, glabrous with just a few shallow punctures
- labial and maxillary palpi brown
- pronotum yellow with chestnut patch anteriorly; densely and deeply punctured
- tegula chestnut
- mesepisternum yellow with chestnut ventral region; densely and deeply punctured laterally; mesepimeron chestnut and yellow
- mesoscutum chestnut with yellow teardrop at rear of middle lobe; pilose with golden short hairs on lateral lobes and lateral region of middle lobe; lateral sides of lateral lobes chestnut and yellow, sparsely pilose
- scutellum yellow with scattered punctures in postero-lateral region; anterior chestnut and yellow lateral extensions projecting to base of forewings
- forelegs all dark yellow; middle legs femur chestnut, tibia yellow
- costa chestnut

female, PW112

- genae yellow, glabrous with sparse shallow punctures ventrally
- pronotum yellow with chestnut patch anteriorly; densely and deeply punctured
- mesoepisternum yellow with chestnut ventral stripe; densely and deeply punctured except in postero-dorsal region; mesepimeron chestnut and yellow, glabrous

female, PW112

lateral habitus pinned specimen - body length 20mm
- genae yellow, glabrous with just a few shallow punctures
- labial and maxillary palpi brown
- pronotum yellow with chestnut patch anteriorly; densely and deeply punctured
- tegula chestnut
- mesoepisternum yellow with chestnut ventral stripe; densely and deeply punctured; mesepimeron and metepimeron chestnut and yellow
- mesoscutum chestnut with yellow teardrop at rear of middle lobe; pilose with golden short hairs on lateral lobes and lateral region of middle lobe; lateral sides of lateral lobes chestnut and yellow, sparsely pilose
- scutellum yellow with scattered punctures in postero-lateral region; large chestnut hind lobes projecting beyond posterior border of scutellum; anterior chestnut and yellow lateral extensions on scutellum projecting to base of forewings
- abdomen chestnut with dark brown mottling dorsally; T2-T8 with yellow lateral patches
- sawsheath chestnut
- legs yellow; base of mid and hind costa chestnut; mid and hind femur chestnut
- costa chestnut

female, PW112

ventral view pinned specimen
- antennae solid yellow, tips of club pale yellow
- face chestnut with yellow antennal tubercles and inner orbits
- clypeus yellow, broadly emarginate
- labrum yellow with long hairs at lower border
- mandibles chestnut with black tips
- ventral side pronotum yellow
- mesepisternum yellow and punctured laterally, chestnut and unpunctured ventrally
- coxae of all legs yellow ventrally; femur of fore and middle legs yellow ventrally, hind femur chestnut ventrally; tibiae and tarsi of all legs yellow ventrally
- venter and lateral sides of all tergites chestnut with yellow patches in T1-T8
- chestnut sawsheath with long, thin hairs directed ventrally along its apical 2/3rds
- saw just evident projecting from end of sawsheath

female, PW112

apical end of sawsheath showing:
- thin curved yellow hairs
- serrated edge of sheath and dark brown sawbench
- saw with teeth projecting from end of sheath

female, PW112

ventral view of end of abdomen showing sawsheath with rows of fine, long hairs on each side

female, PW112

lateral view of end of abdomen showing sawsheath with:
- fine, long hairs directed ventrally
- tip of saw projecting from sheath

female, PW112

saw (lancet) projecting from sawsheath - compare to photomicrograph of same from Morice (1919) on next slide

female, PW112

photomicrograph of saw (lancet) of Pergagrapta polita - Pl. XIV, Fig. 9 from Morice (1919)

female, PW112

posterior view of end of abdomen showing sawsheath with fine, long hairs

female, PW112

References

Benson, R.B. (1939) A revision of the Australian sawflies of the genus Perga Leach, sens. lat. (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). The Australian Zoologist 9: 324-357.

Leach, W.E. (1817) The zoological miscellany; being descriptions of new, or interesting animals. Vol. 3. Shoe-Lane, London: R. and A. Taylor, 151 pp.

Morice, F.D. 1919(1918). 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.

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.

Paul Whitington