Metallus

Larvae create irregular blotch mines on the upper surface of leaves, with one larva per mine. Adults are small sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae.

Forest clearings and agricultural fields where Rubus species (brambles, raspberries) occur.

Europe and North America. European records include Hungary, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. North American records include Vermont, USA.

Mines present from June to September, extending into October in European populations. Two generations per year (bivoltine).

Oligophagous on Rubus species; larvae feed on leaf tissue creating blotch mines.

• Rubus idaeus - host plantleaf tissue consumed by larvae
• Rubus caesius - host plantleaf tissue consumed by larvae

Bivoltine with two generations per year. Solitary larval development with one larva per mine.

Creates irregular blotch mines on upper leaf surfaces. Solitary development with no recorded parasitoid overlap with sympatric leaf miner Emmetia heinemanni despite shared host plant.

Herbivore leaf miner on Rubus; host for parasitoid complexes dominated by Eulophidae (Achrysocharoides cilla, Pnigalio pectinicornis) and Ichneumonidae (Itoplectis alternans). Parasitoid attack rates up to 36.4% observed.

• Emmetia heinemanniCo-occurring leaf miner on Rubus with distinct parasitoid complex; no parasitoid overlap despite shared host plant.

• leaf miner
• sawfly
• Rubus
• blotch mine
• bivoltine
• parasitoid host

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Nearctic Species of Metallus Forbes (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae): Biology and Distribution
• Data on the parasitoid complexes of Metallus pumilus (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) and Emmetia heinemanni (Lepidoptera: Tischeriidae) mining leaves of Rubus sp.