Xiphydriid
Guides
Xiphydria
wood wasps, xiphydriid wood wasps
Xiphydria is a genus of wood wasps in the family Xiphydriidae, distributed across the Holarctic region including Europe, Asia, and North America. Adults are characterized by a distinctive elongated 'neck' formed by the long propleuron, antennae with approximately 20 segments, and mandibles with four teeth. Females oviposit into diseased or dead wood of broadleaf trees and vector symbiotic fungi that decompose wood for larval consumption. The genus is univoltine with one generation per year. While generally of minor economic importance, some species can damage oak and other hardwoods.
Xiphydria canadensis
Canadian Wood Wasp
Xiphydria canadensis is a species of wood wasp in the family Xiphydriidae, native to North America. Wood wasps in this family are characterized by their elongated bodies and long ovipositors used to drill into wood to deposit eggs. The species is known to be a host for parasitic ichneumonid wasps, specifically Rhyssella nitida, which uses its long ovipositor to reach the wood wasp larvae inside logs and dead trees. Adults are active during spring and early summer.
Xiphydria polia
Xiphydria polia is a species of wood-wasp in the family Xiphydriidae, a group of sawfly-relatives within Hymenoptera. Like other xiphydriids, it is a wood-boring insect whose larvae develop inside dead or dying hardwood trees. The family is characterized by a distinctive cornus—a spine-like projection at the tip of the abdomen present in both sexes. Very little specific information is documented for X. polia compared to better-known relatives such as Xiphydria maculata or the pigeon tremex (Tremex columba).