Family Pergidae - Pergid Sawflies

Classification · Numbers · Identification · Range · Food · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon ("Symphyta" - Sawflies, Horntails, and Wood Wasps)

Family Pergidae (Pergid Sawflies)

Numbers

~10 spp. in a single genus in our area(1); worldwide, the third largest symphytan family, with ~440 spp. in 60 genera(2)(3)

Identification

Mesonotum not divided by a transverse groove between bases of fore wings. Protibia with 2 apical spurs, the smaller spur at least half as long as larger spur. Fore wing without longitudinal vein Sc; at most a short vein Sc1 dividing costal cell. Metatibia with 1 preapical spur or none. Pronotum in dorsal view with posterior margin strongly concave. Tergum 1 extending to metacoxa and fused with metapleuron (in pale specimens, area of fusion darker and not to be confused as a division between sclerites). Mesoscutellar appendage fused to mesoscutellum. Protibia with dorsal spur usually simple. Antenna with 4-23 flagellomeres, fore wing in specimens of most genera without closed anal cell, base of vein 2A&3A absent, and hind wing without closed anal and medial cells.

Range

Gondwanan distribution, with the majority of spp. in S. America and Australia (none in Africa) and feeble holarctic representation; almost 2/3 of the spp. are in the New World(2)

Food

food plant diversity exceeds that found in any other sawfly family(2)

Works Cited

1.	Five new species of Acordulecera Say (Hymenoptera: Pergidae) from Arizona and California... Smith D.R. 2010. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 112: 410-422.

2.	Schmidt S., Smith D.R. (2016) Pergidae of the World

3.	Blank et al. (2012) ECatSym: Electronic World Catalog of Symphyta (Insecta, Hymenoptera). Program version 4.0 beta

Contributed by Beatriz Moisset on 8 October, 2008 - 6:01pm
Additional contributions by v belov, Arturo Santos
Last updated 15 October, 2021 - 12:28pm

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