Rhadinoceraea micans
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Rhadinoceraea micans, the iris sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Native to Europe, the larvae—more often noticed than the adults—can occur in large numbers causing damage to garden plants such as the yellow iris or flag, Iris pseudacorus.
The adult sawfly is shiny, black, and hairy. The antennae are thick, and longer than head and thorax combined. The wings are slightly smoky. The head is as wide as the thorax. The larvae, up to 1 inch (25 mm) long, look like caterpillars but have six pairs of prolegs rather than five. The head is shiny black; the body greenish brown, becoming darker with age. There are double rows of white dots around the segments. Larval host plants are all waterside irises, including Iris pseudacorus, Iris ensata, Iris laevigata, Iris spuria and Iris versicolor.
The adult iris sawflies lay their eggs in May on the leaves of irises (especially the yellow flag). The eggs are in large flat placards on iris leaves. The female lays the eggs by inserting her "saw" into the blade of the leaf near the thickened middle, not far from the leaf base. As many as 19 eggs may be... Wikipedia →
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Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Iris Sawfly sighting in London on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 873rd most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Iris Sawfly in London on a given day, against under 5% in July to May, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Iris Sawfly sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Leeds (United Kingdom, under 5%).
Same family: Tenthredinidae
The closest relatives of the Iris Sawfly that you can see in London (family Tenthredinidae, Common Sawflies) are Willow Redgall Sawfly (about 10%) and Turnip Sawfly (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Iris Sawfly is recorded against all the insects logged in London (15 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
