Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps

The larvae of many sawfly species resemble the caterpillars of butterflies and moths, but can be distinguished by the fact that they never have fewer than six pairs of prolegs (Lepidopteran caterpillars never have more than five pairs). Other sawfly larvae are legless and may even be slimy to the touch, leading some early entomologists to call them "slug worms."

The adult sawflies have four-wings and may closely resemble other hymenopterans, but they lack the characteristic "wasp-waist" between the thorax and abdomen. Females typically have conspicuous ovipositors that may look fearsome, but these are never used as stingers.

OVERVIEW OF FAMILIES

Adult sawflies typically feed on nectar or pollen and most sawfly larvae feed openly on leaves. Some larvae that are legless bore into stems or mine into leaf tissue. A few sawfly species have been reported to be carnivorous or parasitic (1).

This is a paraphyletic group, previously known as Symphyta. They are temporarily grouped together for convenience reasons awaiting further knowledge of the classification of these families.

ECatSym: Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta (database for looking up current taxonomy)