Tenthredo campestris

Appearance

Females reach body lengths of 12-14 mm and are considerably larger then the males who only reach a length of 9 - 12 mm.

The bodies are bright red and black. The head, thorax, and eyes are black. The antennae are yellowish and comprise 7 or 9 segments. The abdomen is black, shiny, and has a large reddish-yellow or yellow stripe in the middle of its upper surface. It is longer and wider in the females than in the males. The wings are milky-transparent. Their venation is clearly observable. The forewings lack the subcosta. The upper section of the legs is reddish-brown to yellowish-red. Towards the feet there is a yellowish tinge.

The larvae are yellowish after hatching and resemble caterpillars. They have 8 small pairs of legs attached to their abdomens. Their antennae have 4 - 5 segments. When disturbed, the larvae curl into a "S" shape and resemble small snakes. En masse these larvae can cause major damage to shrubs and trees

Distribution

Tenthredo campestris is widespread in the northern Palaearctic from southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean.

Habitat

They prefer moist habitats with bushes, such as forest edges, but they can also be found in dryer environments. The larvae feed on the leaves of various herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs. Their food of preference is ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria).

Reproduction

After mating, the females lay their yellowish to reddish-brown eggs, individually or in small groups, on the food plants of their larvae.