Euura melanocephalus (Hartig, 1837)

Prous, Marko, Liston, Andrew, Monckton, Spencer K., Kramp, Katja, Vårdal, Hege, Vikberg, Veli, Heibo, Erik & Mutanen, Marko, 2025, West Palaearctic species of Euura Newman, 1837 (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 977, pp. 1-377 : 117

168 Euura melanocephalus group

The group is mostly defined based on genetics, because the species are very similar in morphology. The penis valves are not clearly distinguishable from those of the miliaris group, or E. anthracina and E. hyperborea . Although males of not all species in the miliaris group are known for certain, their antennae seem to be longer than the costa and pterostigma, while the antennae are about as long as the costa and pterostigma in the melanocephalus group. Euura hyperborea males are darker (black pronotum, tegula, and sterna) and have longer hair on the head and thorax than in the melanocephalus group. Males of E. anthracina might not be distinguishable from those of the melanocephalus group species with a pale pterostigma ( E. cadderensis , E. ferruginea , E. kangasi ). Based on the lancets and valvula 3, females are most similar to those of E. anthracina , E. hyperborea , and E. distinguenda , but can be distinguished from these species by paler colouration (extensively pale yellowish abdomen and often extensively pale thorax). We recognize five species in the group, two of which have a black pterostigma ( E. bohemani and E. melanocephalus ), although the males of E. cadderensis , E. ferruginea and E. kangasi can also have a rather dark pterostigma.