Siricoidea

Definition

A superfamily of archaic, xylophagous sawflies in the order Hymenoptera, comprising six families of wood-boring insects. Members are characterized by a long, posteriorly projecting female ovipositor adapted for drilling into wood to deposit eggs. The group was diverse in the Mesozoic and early Tertiary periods; extant representatives include the relict family Anaxyelidae.

Etymology

Example

The horntail Urocerus gigas (family Siricidae) is a familiar living representative of Siricoidea, its long ovipositor visible projecting from the abdomen as the female drills into conifer wood.

Related Terms

• Hymenoptera
• Siricidae
• Anaxyelidae
• sawfly
• xylophagy
• ovipositor
• Xyeloidea

Usage Notes

As a superfamily, Siricoidea groups woodwasp families (notably Siricidae) with several extinct or relict lineages; it contrasts with the more diverse, plant-feeding sawfly superfamilies Tenthredinoidea and Xyeloidea. The classification of Anaxyelidae within this superfamily reflects recent phylogenetic revisions.