Family Cephidae

Page last updated 10th Feb 2021

Steven Falk photos for family
Mike Hackston's ID key

Cephus spp, Shotesham (Andy Musgrove)

Genus Calameuta

Calameuta filiformis 
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

A wetland species, can be locally numerous at times. Almost all records to date from the Broads catchment, plus outliers from Lopham Fen and Caudlesprings (near Watton).

Flight period: 10th June to 8th July

19th century: no records
20th century: Caudlesprings, Calthorpe Broad, Marston Marshes, Lopham Fen, Earlham Park
21st century: Eaton, Hickling, Sutton Fen, Fairhaven Water Gardens, Buxton, Strumpshaw, Halvergate Marshes, Horsey


Calameuta pallipes
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Most records so far from east Norfolk, with less of a Broadland bias and a small cluster in the north-east of the county. Just single record from well-watched Shotesham Common suggests it could well go overlooked.

Flight period: 25th May to 20th July

19th century: Felthorpe, Kings Lynn
20th century: Beeston Common, Woodbastwick Fen, Mundesley Cliffs, South Repps Common
21st century: Trimingham Cliffs, Shotesham Common, Thwaite St Mary


Genus Cephus

[Cephus nigrinus]
[Widespread records in the Midlands but no Norfolk records yet. Appears to be a woodland species.]


Cephus pygmeus
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Can be abundant in some arable areas, and very apparent on buttercups in particular. However, a surprising lack of records from the Broads, the coast and indeed most of the northern half of the county. Often accompanied by one of its parasitoid ichneumon wasp Collyria coxator.

Flight period: 7th May to 4th July, peaks late May to mid June

19th century: noted as ‘very common’ in Norfolk; specimen from Norwich.
20th century: Wheatfen, Elmham, West Harling. Surprising lack of records at the end of the 20th century - has this species increased recently?
21st century: widespread, with more focused recording showing this to be common (locally abundant at times) in SE Norfolk at least; also noted in west Norfolk (Hoe Rough, Caudlesprings, Sculthorpe, Thetford, Welney, Foulden Common, West Harling Woods).


Cephus spinipes
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Common, although less so than pygmeus. This species also seems largely absent from the north of the county, although there are some records from Broads unlike for pygmeus.

Flight period: 19th May to 27th June, peaks early to mid June

19th century: no definite records, although not clear that species was recognised as separate from pygmeus?
20th century: King’s Lynn, Wheatfen, Foulden Common. No specimens collected by Ken Durrant which seems surprising - again, perhaps the separation of pygmeus/spinipes was not widely recognised?
21st century: Castle Acre, Thompson Common, Wayland Wood, Caudlesprings, East Wretham, Croxton, Earlham Cemetery, Shotesham, Ashwellthorpe, Coltishall, Horsey, Waxham, Shelton Green, Stokesby, Hempnall, Thorpe Marsh, Bracon Ash, East Carleton, Swainsthorpe


Genus Trachelus

Trachelus tabidus 
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Bridgman (1888) notes he has one specimen from Earlham. Then, Bloomfield (1909) says the species is ‘not uncommon’ in the King’s Lynn area. However, subsequent to this 1909 paper there are no further records.


[Trachelus troglodyta]
[No Norfolk records and this species appears to be extinct in Britain.]


Genus Janus

[Janus compressus]
[No Norfolk records yet. Only added to British list from 2011 specimens in Surrey.]


Janus cynosbati
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Bloomfield (1909) notes that two males from Kings Lynn were new for Norfolk. There are two records by Ted Ellis from Wheatfen in June 1943, but then no subsequent records so far.


Janus luteipes
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

One was caught in a Malaise trap at Catfield in June 2018, the only county record to date.


Genus Phylloecus

[Phylloecus faunus]
[No Norfolk records - known only from a specimen collected 'in the vicinity of London' in 1838.]


Phylloecus linearis
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

There are 20th century records from Surlingham/Rockland, Wheatfen, East Bilney, Mattishall, UEA, Horstead, Thompson Common. One at Narborough in 2001 is the only 21st century record to date. Given the similarity of this species to P xanthostoma, and the wetland nature of many of these sites, one does have to wonder if some might have referred to that species, as linearis feeds on Agrimony vs Meadowsweet for xanthostoma. Will be worth checking old specimens...


Phylloecus niger
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Recorded from Holkham Dunes in 1968 and Wheatfen in 1987. Larvae feed on raspberry and so the species could be widely overlooked.


Phylloecus xanthostoma 
Sawflies website; Steven Falk photos

Singles were found on Shotesham Common in an area containing much Meadowsweet in May 2018 and May 2020, the only county records to date (but see linearis)

Phylloecus xanthostoma, Shotesham 2020