Selandria serva

This species is very similar to the much rarer Selandria melanosterna but at 7mm long this individual was too small to consider that larger species.

male Selandria serva showing its wings (top lit and backlit) and aedeagus, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 14th May 2022

With a total length (front of head minus antennae to tip of wings) of 8.9mm this individual was larger than the stated size range for serva, so melanosterna needed to be checked for more carefully - and also the similar genus Brachythops although that's also meant to be smaller. The third segment of the antenna was much shorter than the apical three segments so that ruled out melanosterna, and the first segment of the tarsus was only marginally shorter than the second to fourth segments, ruling out Brachythops. I don't know if the aedeagus is helpful for ID with these, but it looked reassuringly similar to the individual above.

Having caught another 9mm individual in 2025 I checked whether or not I should be including the wings in the measurements - apparently not, so that would be why this one was too large. The 2025 individual was 9.0mm to the wing tip but only 7.3mm to the end of the abdomen.

male Selandria serva showing its wings, hind tarsus and aedeagus, Elmham railway (Norfolk, UK), 3rd June 2022

I forgot to measure this one before manhandling it but the relative length of the antennal segments pointed to serva again. This one was swept from grass.

male Selandria serva showing right wings, left forewing and aedeagus, Hoe Rough (Norfolk, UK), 18th June 2024

This one ticked all the boxes for serva once I'd established that I needed to measure to the end of the abdomen not to the end of the wings.

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female Selandria serva showing wings and hind tarsus, Wendling Beck Environment Project (Norfolk, UK), 11th August 2025