Claremontia

Taxonomy

Family: Tenthredinidae
Family common name: common sawflies
Subfamily: Blennocampinae
Tribe: Blennocampini
Genus: Claremontia Rohwer, 1909
Subgenera: none

Background

The Tenthredinidae are the most species-rich family and are found throughout the world, in all continents but Antarctica. They are known as the “common sawflies.” They can generally be recognized by a cylindrical body and long, segmented antennaeantenna:
the sensory organ emerging from the front of the head, usually between the compound eyes and above the clypeus; includes the flagellum, scape and pedicel
. Otherwise, they come in a variety of colors, sizes, and forms (Goulet 1992Goulet 1992:
Goulet H. 1992. The genera and subgenera of the sawflies of Canada and Alaska: Hymenoptera. Symphyta. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 20. Agriculture Canada Publication.
).

Sawflies in the subfamily Blennocampinae have a diverse set of life histories and habits. Many species are restricted to subtropical and tropical regions, but the genus is still fairly species-rich in North America. Blennocampinae includes many sawflies that feed on ornamental and forestry crops. This subfamily can be recognized by wing venationvenation:
the network of veins on a wing
and bidentatebidentate:
having two teeth; often used in descrbing mandibles or tarsal claws
mandibles (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
).

Claremontia are small to medium-sized, about 6–7 mm in length, and entirely black, sometimes with light-colored striping present on the legs. The wings are transparent or slightly darkened (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
).

Diversity

There are 17 described extantextant:
in existence; opposite of extinct
species worldwide. Seven species occur in North America (Taeger et al. 2018Taeger et al. 2018:
Taeger A, Liston AD, Prous M, Groll EK, Gehroldt T, and Blank SM. 2018. ECatSymmdash;Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta (Insecta, Hymenoptera). Program version 5.0 (19 Dec 2018), data version 40 (23 Sep 2018). Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut (SDEI), Muuml;ncheberg. https://sdei.de/ecatsym/ Accessed: 28 Jan 2020.
).

The monograph for Blennocampinae (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
) synonymizes Monophadnoides and Claremontia. The two genera have since been separated, and the only NearcticNearctic:
describing the region of the Northern Hemisphere that includes North America south through northern Mexico
species to remain in Monophadnoides is M. rubi (Taeger et al. 2010Taeger et al. 2010:
Taeger A, Blank SM, and Liston AD. 2010. World Catalog of Symphyta (Hymenoptera). Zootaxa 2580: 1-1064.
, Smith pers. comm. 2020).

Diagnostic characteristics

Subfamily characters

  • angle of intersection of fore wingfore wing:
    the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
    veins Cu1 and 1m-cu between 120°–150° (Goulet 1992Goulet 1992:
    Goulet H. 1992. The genera and subgenera of the sawflies of Canada and Alaska: Hymenoptera. Symphyta. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 20. Agriculture Canada Publication.
    )
  • fore wing fore wing:
    the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
    veins M and 1m-cu parallel (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )
  • fore wing fore wing:
    the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
    veins 2A and 3A incomplete (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )

Genus characters

  • pedicel pedicel:
    the second antennal segment, between the scape and flagellum
    about as wide as long (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )
  • third antennal segment about equal to fourth (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )
  • postocular postocular:
    describes area behind the compound eye
    furrowfurrow:
    a groove or linear depression
    present (Smith 2015Smith 2015:
    Smith DR. 2015. A new Monophadnoides Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from Eastern North America and notes on other species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 117(4): 499-507.
    )
  • prepectus prepectus:
    lateral sclerite anterior to mesopleuron (sometimes absent)
    absent (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )
  • intersection of fore wingfore wing:
    the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
    M and Rs+M meeting or slightly basalbasal:
    towards the base; closest to the body
    to intersection of Rs+M and Sc+R (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )
  • fore wing fore wing:
    the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
    veins 2A and 3A straight at apexapex:
    the end or most distal area of any structure
    (Goulet 1992Goulet 1992:
    Goulet H. 1992. The genera and subgenera of the sawflies of Canada and Alaska: Hymenoptera. Symphyta. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 20. Agriculture Canada Publication.
    )
  • pulvilli on the first and second tarsomeres well developed (Goulet 1992Goulet 1992:
    Goulet H. 1992. The genera and subgenera of the sawflies of Canada and Alaska: Hymenoptera. Symphyta. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 20. Agriculture Canada Publication.
    )
  • tarsal claw tarsal claw:
    sharpened appendage emerging from the apex of the tarsus
    inner tooth long (Goulet 1992Goulet 1992:
    Goulet H. 1992. The genera and subgenera of the sawflies of Canada and Alaska: Hymenoptera. Symphyta. The insects and arachnids of Canada. Part 20. Agriculture Canada Publication.
    )
  • tarsal claw tarsal claw:
    sharpened appendage emerging from the apex of the tarsus
    with basalbasal:
    towards the base; closest to the body
    lobe, sometimes inconspicuous (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
    Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
    )

May be confused with

Claremontia can be confused with similar species in the subfamily Blennocampinae. It can be distinguished from Periclista by the fore wingfore wing:
the anterior wing of each pair of wings; usually the largest wing of the pair
veins 2A and 3A and by a lack of membranous area on the anepimeronanepimeron:
the dorsal protion of the mesepimeron
, from Monophadnus by the lack of a divide on the katepimeronkatepimeron:
ventral section of the mesepimeron
, and from Monophadnoides by the relative length of the third and fourth antennal segments and the presence of a tarsal clawtarsal claw:
sharpened appendage emerging from the apex of the tarsus
basalbasal:
towards the base; closest to the body
lobe (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
). Claremontia is also characterized by a postocularpostocular:
describes area behind the compound eye
furrowfurrow:
a groove or linear depression
which is not present in Monophadnoides (Smith 2015Smith 2015:
Smith DR. 2015. A new Monophadnoides Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) from Eastern North America and notes on other species. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 117(4): 499-507.
).

Exotic pest species of concern

none

Host associations

unknown

Life history

unknown

Distribution

World: This genus is found in North America, central and eastern Europe, and east through Siberia into Mongolia. One species, C. sinobirmana, occurs in Myanmar (Koch 1988aKoch 1988a:
Koch F. 1988a. Die gattung Claremontia Rohwer (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Neue Folge 35 (4-5): 311-330.
).

North America: Species of Claremontia occur throughout the northern United States with some extensions farther south in California, and through southern Canada extending north to Alaska (Smith 1969dSmith 1969d:
Smith DR. 1969d. Nearctic Sawflies. I. Blennocampinae: Adults and larvae (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae). Technical Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture 1397: 1-176.
, Koch 1988aKoch 1988a:
Koch F. 1988a. Die gattung Claremontia Rohwer (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae). Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Neue Folge 35 (4-5): 311-330.
).

Map data from: GBIF.org (29 October 2019) GBIF Occurrence Download Claremontia and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Entomology Collection (USNM)

Details about data used for maps can be found here.

  Claremontia typica  female lateral habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

Claremontia typica female lateral habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

  Claremontia typica  female dorsal habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

Claremontia typica female dorsal habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

  Claremontia typica  female face; photo by Q. Baine, WSDA

Claremontia typica female face; photo by Q. Baine, WSDA

  Claremontia typica  male lateral habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

Claremontia typica male lateral habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

  Claremontia typica  male dorsal habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

Claremontia typica male dorsal habitus; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

  Claremontia typica  male face; photo by Q. Baine, WSDA

Claremontia typica male face; photo by Q. Baine, WSDA

  Claremontia typicus  wings; photo by J. Orr, WSDA

Claremontia typicus wings; photo by J. Orr, WSDA