Paul Whitingtonbatch 7

Perga affinis (PERGINAE)

Paul Whitingtonbatch 7
Perga affinis (PERGINAE)

Workbook

This notes page shows detailed images of specimens of adult Perga affinis females collected in the field or raised from larvae. Particular attention is paid to body parts that are diagnostic for species identification, in particular for separation from Perga dorsalis.

Many thanks to the iNaturalists who have generously donated these specimens for analysis - Chris Seager and Jenny Emeny.

Female from Chris Seager, Mt. Barker SA

This female is one of a number of adults raised by Chris from a clutch of larvae first observed feeding on a Eucalyptus cosmophylla tree at her home in Mt. Barker SA in June 2024. The larvae were allowed to continue feeding on that vegetation and by September had developed to a late stage.

Early in October 23 larvae descended into leaf-litter mulch placed close to the trunk. They were transferred to a terrarium where they subsequently pupated. 7 females and 2 males emerged in the following late February to early March.

The female examined here eclosed on 5th March.

Images (except for first) taken ~2 months after eclosion

Featured
photo taken a few days after eclosion - body length 26mm - head black, lateral orange patches at border of vertex and occiput - antennal scape, pedicel and flagellum orange - antennae somewhat longer than distance between insertion points - orang
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

photo taken a few days after eclosion
- body length 26mm
- head black, lateral orange patches at border of vertex and occiput
- antennal scape, pedicel and flagellum orange
- antennae somewhat longer than distance between insertion points
- orange pronotum, moderately densely punctured
- mesoscutum black, densely punctured
- smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small black hind lobes
- forewings pale brown hyaline
- hind femora black dorsally

female, #PW043
- head black, lateral orange patches at border of vertex and occiput - orange pronotum - mesoscutum black, densely punctured - smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small black hind lobes - forewings pale brown hyaline
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- head black, lateral orange patches at border of vertex and occiput
- orange pronotum
- mesoscutum black, densely punctured
- smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small black hind lobes
- forewings pale brown hyaline

female, #PW043
dorsum of abdomen metallic blue-black
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

dorsum of abdomen metallic blue-black

female, #PW043
- genae all black - clypeus, labrum and palpi orange - pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate - mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate - mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepisternum black - mesosternum shiny black -
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- genae all black
- clypeus, labrum and palpi orange
- pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate
- mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate
- mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepisternum black
- mesosternum shiny black
- lateral folds of terga, venter shiny black, unpunctured
- abdomen with black iridescence
- sawsheath orange with pale yellow hairs, closely spaced
- all coxae black
- all femora dark orange, hind femora black dorsally (see first image in gallery)
- all tibiae orange

female, #PW043
- genae all black - clypeus, labrum and palpi orange - mandibles black - pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate - mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate, pilose ventrally - mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepistern
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- genae all black
- clypeus, labrum and palpi orange
- mandibles black
- pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate
- mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate, pilose ventrally
- mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepisternum black
- all coxae black
- all femora dark orange
- all tibiae orange

female, #PW043
- body length 24.5mm
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- body length 24.5mm

female, #PW043
- genae all black - pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate - mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate, pilose ventrally - mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepisternum black
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- genae all black
- pronotum dark yellow, moderately heavily punctate
- mesepisternum black with ventral orange patch, heavily punctate, pilose ventrally
- mesepimeron, metepimeron and metepisternum black

female, #PW043
- vertex black, heavily punctured, densely pilose with golden recumbent hairs - orange lateral patches at border of vertex and occiput - antennal tubercles, scape and pedicel orange - POL/OOL = 1.0 - postocellar region longer than breadth in front,
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

- vertex black, heavily punctured, densely pilose with golden recumbent hairs
- orange lateral patches at border of vertex and occiput
- antennal tubercles, scape and pedicel orange
- POL/OOL = 1.0
- postocellar region longer than breadth in front, POL about half as long as distance between hind ocellus and hind margin of head

female, #PW043
ventral view of end of abdomen (image taken a few days after eclosion) - lateral folds of terga shiny black, unpunctured - abdomen with blackish blue iridescence - sawsheath orange with yellow hairs
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

ventral view of end of abdomen (image taken a few days after eclosion)
- lateral folds of terga shiny black, unpunctured
- abdomen with blackish blue iridescence
- sawsheath orange with yellow hairs

female, #PW043
lateral view of end of abdomen - lateral folds of terga shiny black, unpunctured - abdomen with blackish blue iridescence - sawsheath orange with yellow hairs
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

lateral view of end of abdomen
- lateral folds of terga shiny black, unpunctured
- abdomen with blackish blue iridescence
- sawsheath orange with yellow hairs

female, #PW043
lateral view of sawsheath - sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced, straight or curved, tip not spooned
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

lateral view of sawsheath
- sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced, straight or curved, tip not spooned

female, #PW043
ventral view of sawsheath - sawsheath hairs densely spaced - sawsheath hairs straight or curved, tip not spooned - sawbench long and thin - serrated margin of sawsheath visible
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

ventral view of sawsheath
- sawsheath hairs densely spaced
- sawsheath hairs straight or curved, tip not spooned
- sawbench long and thin
- serrated margin of sawsheath visible

female, #PW043
distal end of genitalia, showing - sawsheath with corrugations - sawbench with striae - protruding tip of saw
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

distal end of genitalia, showing
- sawsheath with corrugations
- sawbench with striae
- protruding tip of saw

female, #PW043
distal region of sawsheath - ~6 striae present on each side of sawbench
female, #PW043
female, #PW043

distal region of sawsheath - ~6 striae present on each side of sawbench

female, #PW043

DNA barcoding

A hind leg was removed from this specimen for DNA barcoding of the COI gene by Erinn Fagan-Jeffries. This showed a 99.70% sequence similarity to the BOLD P. affinis specimen PERGI043-12 from Stefan Schmidt and a 97.72% similarity to a P. affinis specimen collected by James Peake (iNaturalist observation) at Warrandyte, Vic.

Female from Jenny Emeny, Warrnambool VIC

This female was collected in the field on March 31, 2026. It was straddling a eucalypt leaf, probably about to start abrading the leaf surface.

Images of living insect

Additional images

Featured
- orange pronotum - mesoscutum black, covered in yellow hairs, long in medial region - smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small transparent chestnut hind lobes - dorsum of abdomen shining black - forewings pale brown hy
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- orange pronotum
- mesoscutum black, covered in yellow hairs, long in medial region
- smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small transparent chestnut hind lobes
- dorsum of abdomen shining black
- forewings pale brown hyaline

female, #PW106
- antennae orange - genae pale orange ventrally, black dorsally, weakly pilose and punctate - clypeus and labrum orange - mandibles orange with black tips - pronotum dark yellow, heavily punctate - mesepisternum yellowish-white dorsally, black ventr
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- antennae orange
- genae pale orange ventrally, black dorsally, weakly pilose and punctate
- clypeus and labrum orange
- mandibles orange with black tips
- pronotum dark yellow, heavily punctate
- mesepisternum yellowish-white dorsally, black ventrally, heavily punctate
- mesepimeron black and white
- metepimeron white
- metepisternum black and white
- mesosternum shiny black, unpunctured
- lateral folds of terga, venter shiny black, unpunctured
- abdomen with black iridescence
- sawsheath orange with pale yellow hairs, closely spaced, almost touching, straight without spooned tip
- coxa black basally, pale yellow apically
- all femora dark orange
- all tibiae orange

female, #PW106
- orange pronotum - mesoscutum black, covered in yellow hairs, long in medial region, strongly punctate - smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small transparent chestnut hind lobes - dorsum of abdomen shining blue black -
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- orange pronotum
- mesoscutum black, covered in yellow hairs, long in medial region, strongly punctate
- smooth, hairless, yellow scutellum, lacking midline furrow, with small transparent chestnut hind lobes
- dorsum of abdomen shining blue black
- forewings pale brown hyaline

female, #PW106
body length 21.6mm
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

body length 21.6mm

female, #PW106
- antennal flagellum, scape and pedicel orange - inner orbits black, genae pale orange ventrally, black dorsally, weakly punctated, weakly pilose - clypeus, labrum, palpi and mandibles orange (tips black) - mesosternum, lateral folds of terga shinin
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- antennal flagellum, scape and pedicel orange
- inner orbits black, genae pale orange ventrally, black dorsally, weakly punctated, weakly pilose
- clypeus, labrum, palpi and mandibles orange (tips black)
- mesosternum, lateral folds of terga shining black, venter pale orange and black
- sawsheath orange with white hairs
- all coxae yellow, speckled black basally
- all femora dark orange
- all tibiae and tarsi orange

female, #PW106
- vertex black, heavily punctate, strongly pilose with long pale yellow hairs - pale yellow patch at lateral vertex/occiput border - genae black, sparsely punctate, glabrous - POL/OOL =0.9 - postocellar region longer than breadth in front, POL about
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- vertex black, heavily punctate, strongly pilose with long pale yellow hairs
- pale yellow patch at lateral vertex/occiput border
- genae black, sparsely punctate, glabrous
- POL/OOL =0.9
- postocellar region longer than breadth in front, POL about half as long as distance between hind ocellus and hind margin of head

female, #PW106
- genae orange ventrally, black dorsally, pilose with short golden hairs, weakly punctate - vertex punctate medially, smooth laterally, pilose with upright golden hairs - yellow patch at vertex/occiput border
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- genae orange ventrally, black dorsally, pilose with short golden hairs, weakly punctate
- vertex punctate medially, smooth laterally, pilose with upright golden hairs
- yellow patch at vertex/occiput border

female, #PW106
- vertex, face, inner orbits greenish black, heavily punctate, pilose - antennal tubercles yellow - antenna just longer than closest distance between eyes - scape, pedicel and flagellum orange - clypeus, labrum orange - POL/OOL=0.9
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- vertex, face, inner orbits greenish black, heavily punctate, pilose
- antennal tubercles yellow
- antenna just longer than closest distance between eyes
- scape, pedicel and flagellum orange
- clypeus, labrum orange
- POL/OOL=0.9

female, #PW106
sawsheath - lateral view - sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

sawsheath - lateral view
- sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced

female, #PW106
rear of abdomen - lateral view
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

rear of abdomen - lateral view

female, #PW106
sawsheath ventral view - sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced, curved but tip not spooned
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

sawsheath ventral view
- sawsheath hairs (bristles) closely spaced, curved but tip not spooned

female, #PW106
- sawbench long and thin - serrated margin of sawsheath evident
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- sawbench long and thin
- serrated margin of sawsheath evident

female, #PW106
- apices of sawsheath diverge
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

- apices of sawsheath diverge

female, #PW106
ventral view of genitalia dissected from body, showing valvula 1 (lancet), sawsheath (valvula 3) and parts of the cuticle (valvifer 1 & 2) to which muscles which move the saw attach
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

ventral view of genitalia dissected from body, showing valvula 1 (lancet), sawsheath (valvula 3) and parts of the cuticle (valvifer 1 & 2) to which muscles which move the saw attach

female, #PW106
dorsal view of genitalia dissected from body, showing valvula 2 (lance) and parts of the cuticle (valvifer 1 & 2, ramus 1 & 2) to which muscles which move the saw attach
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

dorsal view of genitalia dissected from body, showing valvula 2 (lance) and parts of the cuticle (valvifer 1 & 2, ramus 1 & 2) to which muscles which move the saw attach

female, #PW106
lateral view of genitalia - ventral side up - showing saw (lancet + lance) and sawsheath (valvula 3)
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

lateral view of genitalia - ventral side up - showing saw (lancet + lance) and sawsheath (valvula 3)

female, #PW106
P4160096-2-Edit.jpeg
female, #PW106
female, #PW106
female, #PW106
detailed view of edge of sawsheath, showing corrugations of the sawbench and morphology of the sawsheath hairs (bristles)
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

detailed view of edge of sawsheath, showing corrugations of the sawbench and morphology of the sawsheath hairs (bristles)

female, #PW106
detailed view of tip of saw, showing shape of teeth on lancet - compare to photo from Morice (1919)
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

detailed view of tip of saw, showing shape of teeth on lancet - compare to photo from Morice (1919)

female, #PW106
lateral view of saw, ventral side down - compare to photo in Morice (1919)
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

lateral view of saw, ventral side down - compare to photo in Morice (1919)

female, #PW106
teeth of Perga affinis lancet - Morice (1919) Pl. 14, Fig. 2
female, #PW106
female, #PW106

teeth of Perga affinis lancet - Morice (1919) Pl. 14, Fig. 2

female, #PW106

DNA barcoding

The left hind leg was removed from this specimen on 10/4/26 and stored in 100% ethanol in the freezer, ready for DNA barcoding.

Summary

These two Perga affinis females are very similar, differing in only the following features:

  • colour of ventral region of genae (black vs. orange)

  • colour of pleurae (all black except for yellow spot on mesepimeron vs. all yellow except for small black areas)

  • colour of dorsal side of hind femora (black vs. dark orange)

Carne (1962) notes a tendency for the pigmentation of the mesepimeron of the adult female Perga affinis to vary from black to pale yellow.

All other features are identical, in particular the morphology and spacing of the hairs (bristles) on the sawsheath and the length of the sawbench, which other authors have considered to be diagnostic features for separation of P. affinis and P. dorsalis (Benson, 1939; Carne, 1962; Riek, 1962).

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.

Carne, P.B. 1962. The characteristics and behaviour of the saw-fly Perga affinis affinis (Hymenoptera). Australian Journal of Zoology 10: 1-34.

Riek, E.F. 1961. The distribution and inter-relationships of Perga affinis Kirby and Perga dorsalis Leach (Hymenoptera, Symphyta). Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 86: 237-240.

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