ajaxloader

Tenthredopsis friesei · pjūklelis

As with all Tenthredopsis species Tenthredopsis friesei is variable in colour.

Top of head black; rear and inner edges of eyes white-yellow rimmed. Upper eyelid yellow. Top of thorax black. Scutellum yellow. Female abdomen, black with red central tergites. Male abdomen more slender, yellow-orange, darkening towards the apex; last tergites dark, almost black. In the colour form arrogans all tergites dark in both sexes. Legs largely orange with black central and hind thighs (applies to female). The hind tarsi are yellowish-white, with the base of the first tarsal segment and the apex of the fifth segment usually significantly darkened. Wings transparent, without spots; pterostigma bicoloured, yellow in the central part.

Similar to Tenthredopsis scutellaris (hind feet light, yellow-orange) and Tenthredopsis coqebertii (scutellum black, possibly with yellow spots). Similar-looking, red-banded females of purported T. nassata are also similar but tend to have the hind tarsi entirely pale. But in reality, separating these females with any confidence is extremely difficult if not impossible at times. Identification exposed to significant risk of error.

Larvae feed on grasses.