Sawfly
Guides
Tenthredo rubeola
Tenthredo rubeola is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, distinguished from true wasps by its broad connection between thorax and abdomen lacking a narrow 'wasp waist.' Adults are often observed on flowers and consume both plant material and small insects. The species belongs to a genus of approximately 118 species in the U.S. and Canada, many of which exhibit mimicry of stinging wasps despite being harmless. Larval biology and host plant relationships remain poorly documented.
Tenthredo verticalis
Tenthredo verticalis is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Sawflies in this genus lack the narrow 'wasp waist' characteristic of many other Hymenoptera, with the abdomen broadly attached to the thorax. Adults are often observed on flowers and have been recorded feeding on pollen, nectar, and smaller insects. The genus Tenthredo includes approximately 118 species in the United States and Canada.
Tenthredo xantha
Tenthredo xantha is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae. Like other members of the genus Tenthredo, adults lack the narrow waist characteristic of many wasps and possess a broad connection between thorax and abdomen. The species is known from northern Canada, with records from Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, and Alberta. Adults are active in late summer and early autumn.
Tethida
Tethida is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, established by Ross in 1937. The genus contains at least one described species, Tethida barda. As a member of the suborder Symphyta, these insects lack the constricted 'wasp waist' characteristic of many other Hymenoptera.
Tethida barda
Black-headed Ash Sawfly
Tethida barda is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae, commonly known as the Black-headed Ash Sawfly. The species is associated with ash trees (Fraxinus species) as a host plant. It is found across eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States. The larvae feed on ash foliage and can occasionally cause noticeable defoliation.
Thrinax dubitata
Thrinax dubitata is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, originally described as Hemitaxonus dubitatus by Norton in 1862. It is one of approximately 40 species in the genus Thrinax, a group of small to medium-sized sawflies primarily distributed in the Holarctic region. The species is recorded from eastern and central Canada, with observations spanning Manitoba to the Atlantic provinces. As with most Tenthredinidae, adults are likely herbivorous or nectar-feeding, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Tomostethus
ash sawflies
Tomostethus is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, first described by Konow in 1886. Species within this genus are associated with ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) and are recognized as pests of economic and ecological significance. The genus includes species such as T. nigritus, T. multicinctus, and T. sinofraxini, which have been documented across Europe and Asia. Several species have shown capacity for population outbreaks, particularly in urban environments.
Trichiocampus
Trichiocampus is a genus of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. The genus includes species associated with poplar trees (Populus spp.), with at least one species, T. viminalis, known to cause significant defoliation during population outbreaks. Members occur across a broad circumpolar distribution spanning Europe and northern North America.
Trichiocampus grandis
Trichiocampus grandis is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae. It is currently recognized as a synonym of Cladius grandis, though the exact taxonomic status remains subject to nomenclatural revision. The species was originally described by Serville in 1823. Distribution records indicate presence in Belgium and Canada, specifically British Columbia.
Trichiosoma
Hairy-clubhorn Sawflies
Trichiosoma is a genus of large-bodied sawflies in the family Cimbicidae, comprising more than 30 described species. These insects are commonly known as Hairy-clubhorn Sawflies, reflecting their robust, often hairy appearance. Adults are active during summer months and are associated with woody vegetation. Larvae are solitary herbivores that feed on leaves.
Trichiosoma lanuginosum
Trichiosoma lanuginosum is a species of sawfly in the family Cimbicidae, a group of large, robust hymenopterans often mistaken for wasps. The genus Trichiosoma includes species associated with various deciduous trees, where larvae feed on foliage. Adults are typically encountered in spring and early summer. This species belongs to a family whose larvae are caterpillar-like herbivores, distinct from the carnivorous or parasitoid habits of many other Hymenoptera.
Trichiosoma triangulum
Giant Birch Sawfly
A large sawfly in the family Cimbicidae, found in association with willow and birch habitats. Females deposit eggs into leaves, and the larvae are caterpillar-like herbivores that feed on foliage. Adults are active during summer months and are often observed on vegetation.
Waldheimia carbonaria
Waldheimia carbonaria is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae, first described by Cresson in 1880. It is a member of the suborder Symphyta, the group of Hymenoptera that includes sawflies and horntails, which lack the narrow waist characteristic of wasps, bees, and ants. The genus Waldheimia contains relatively few species, and W. carbonaria is among the better-documented members of this genus in North America. Like other Tenthredinidae, the larvae are likely herbivorous, though specific host plant associations remain poorly documented.
Waldheimia vitis
Waldheimia vitis is a sawfly species in the family Tenthredinidae, first described by Harris in 1841. As a member of the suborder Symphyta (sawflies), it lacks the constricted waist characteristic of wasps and bees in the suborder Apocrita. The species epithet 'vitis' suggests a potential association with grape plants (Vitis spp.), though specific host relationships remain poorly documented. Sawflies in this family are typically phytophagous, with larvae feeding on plant foliage.
Xiphydria abdominalis
Xiphydria abdominalis is a species of wood-wasp in the family Xiphydriidae, a group of sawflies that develop in decaying wood. The genus Xiphydria contains approximately 15 species in North America. These insects are associated with dead and dying hardwood trees, where larvae tunnel in the wood. Adults are diurnal and have been observed flying near host material. The species is part of a guild of wood-inhabiting insects that play important roles in forest decomposition processes.
Xyela bakeri
Xyela bakeri is a Nearctic sawfly species in the family Xyelidae, first described by Konow in 1898. It belongs to the X. bakeri species group, which includes the Japanese X. fusca and an undescribed Chinese species—one of only two Xyela groups with trans-Beringian distributions. The species is endemic to North America with records spanning from Quebec to Florida and west to British Columbia, California, and the Yukon Territory. Larvae develop as internal feeders in pine cones, with documented hosts including multiple Pinus species in subgenus Pinus.
Xyela middlekauffi
Xyela middlekauffi is a species of sawfly in the family Xyelidae, one of the most primitive lineages within Hymenoptera. Species in this genus are associated with conifer hosts, particularly pines. Xyela middlekauffi has been documented from a limited number of observations, suggesting either restricted distribution or low detectability. Like other xyelids, adults likely have short life spans and are active during early spring.
Xyela minor
Xyela minor is a species of sawfly in the family Xyelidae. It is endemic to North America, with a range extending from Quebec to Florida and westward to British Columbia and California. The species is associated with multiple pine species as larval hosts.
Xyelidae
Xyelid Sawflies
Xyelidae is a family of sawflies comprising approximately 80 extant species in five genera worldwide, with an extensive fossil record of over 120 species dating to the Triassic. It is the sole family in the superfamily Xyeloidea and represents the sister group to all other extant Hymenoptera, retaining numerous ancestral morphological features. Extant species are primarily distributed in boreal regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with a relict distribution pattern. The family is divided into two subfamilies: Xyelinae, associated with conifers, and Macroxyelinae, feeding on deciduous trees.
Xyelinae
xyeline sawflies
Xyelinae is a subfamily of primitive sawflies within the family Xyelidae, representing one of the earliest-diverging lineages of Hymenoptera. Members are small to medium-sized insects with distinctive morphological features including broad heads and relatively short antennae. The subfamily includes extant genera such as Xyela and Pleroneura, with larvae that develop in plant tissues. Xyelinae sawflies are primarily associated with conifers, particularly pines, where they exhibit specialized host relationships.
Zadiprion rohweri
Pinyon Pine Sawfly
Zadiprion rohweri, commonly known as the Pinyon Pine Sawfly, is a species of conifer-feeding sawfly in the family Diprionidae. It is associated with pinyon pine (Pinus edulis and related species) in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species was described by Middleton in 1931 and is one of several Zadiprion species specialized on pine hosts. Sawflies in this genus are known for gregarious larval feeding that can cause noticeable defoliation.
Zadiprion townsendi
bull pine sawfly
Zadiprion townsendi, commonly known as the bull pine sawfly, is a species of conifer sawfly in the family Diprionidae (Hymenoptera). The genus Zadiprion is a small group of sawflies whose larvae feed on pine needles. This species is associated with bull pine (Pinus ponderosa), serving as a defoliator of this economically important timber species. Like other diprionid sawflies, Z. townsendi undergoes complete metamorphosis with larval stages that feed gregariously on host foliage.
Zynzus bicolor
Zynzus bicolor is a species of sawfly in the family Argidae, order Hymenoptera. The genus Zynzus belongs to the subfamily Arginae. The specific epithet 'bicolor' suggests a two-colored appearance, though detailed morphological descriptions are not readily available in published literature. The species has been documented through iNaturalist observations, indicating it is recognized in contemporary biodiversity databases.
Zynzus magnus
Zynzus magnus is a species of sawfly in the family Argidae, originally described as Ptenus magnus by Smith in 1970. It belongs to a group of hymenopterans commonly known as argid sawflies. The genus Zynzus is part of a diverse family of herbivorous sawflies whose larvae typically feed on various plant species.