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. 2021 Dec 21;13(1):6.
doi: 10.3390/insects13010006.

First Report of the Ash Sawfly, Tomostethus nigritus, Established on Fraxinus excelsior in the Republic of Ireland

Erika Soldi  1 , Emma Fuller  1 , Anna M M Tiley  1   2 , Archie K Murchie  2 , Trevor R Hodkinson  1
Affiliations

First Report of the Ash Sawfly, Tomostethus nigritus, Established on Fraxinus excelsior in the Republic of Ireland

Erika Soldi et al. Insects. .

Abstract

This is the first report of the ash sawfly, Tomostethus nigritus, in the Republic of Ireland. We observed defoliated leaves of Fraxinus excelsior L. and T. nigritus larvae at a forestry plantation in Co. Kildare. Morphological observation of the larvae and DNA analysis using mitochondrial COI barcoding confirmed the identification of this pest of ash.

Keywords: Fraxinus spp.; Republic of Ireland; Tomostethus nigritus; ash sawflies.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure A1
Figure A1
Defoliation of leaves by T. nigritus in Trinity College Dublin, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland. (a–d). The insect defoliated only the apical leaves of the crown on (b) top, (c) left and (d) right side (indicated in picture by the black arrows) (Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 16.IX.21, photos by E. Soldi).
Figure 1
Figure 1
Tomostethus nigritus in the Republic of Ireland. (a,b) Leaves damaged by T. nigritus on F. excelsior in Co. Kildare and observation of larvae on the underside of the leaves (indicated by the black arrows) (Carbury, Co Kildare, Ireland, 08.VI.21, photo A.M.M. Tiley); (c) image of T. nigritus larvae (Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 09.VI.21, photo E. Fuller; (d) adult of T. nigritus observed in Belfast (NI) (Belfast, UK, photo A.K. Murchie); (e,f) detail of defoliated ash leaves by T. nigritus in Co. Dublin. Only the main vein of the leaf remained intact and attached to the branches (Kimmage, Dublin, Ireland, 17.X.21, photo A.M.M. Tiley).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of observed Fraxinus sp. attacked by T. nigritus in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Trees that shown mild defoliation of the crown are marked in yellow, whereas those with severe defoliation are marked in red.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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