Sawflies are the insects of the suborder Symphyta within the order Hymenoptera, alongside ants, bees, and wasps. The common name comes from the saw-like appearance of the ovipositor, which the females use to cut into the plants where they lay their eggs. The name is associated especially with the Tenthredinoidea, by far the largest superfamily in the suborder, with about 7,000 known species; in the entire suborder, there are 8,000 described species in more than 800 genera. Symphyta is paraphyletic, consisting of several basal groups within the order Hymenoptera, each one rooted inside the previous group, ending with the Apocrita which are not sawflies.
The spitfire sawfly is a hymenopteran insect found in Australia. It is up to 22 mm long, has two pairs of wings, with a wingspan up to 40 mm, and its wings are honey colored. Its larvae are up to 80 mm long and somewhat resemble a caterpillar.
Pristiphora erichsonii, the larch sawfly, is a species of sawfly. The adult sawfly resembles a black wasp, is about ½ inch in length with a thick waist and has brown to orangish markings on the abdomen. Larvae have black heads, gray-green bodies with white undersides, and are about 15–18 mm long when full grown. Larvae occur in groups and characteristically curl their bodies upward in a "J" shape when disturbed.
The sirex woodwasp is a species of horntail, native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. Adults vary in length from 9 to 36 mm.
Neodiprion sertifer, the European pine sawfly or red pine sawfly, is a sawfly species in the genus Neodiprion. Although native to Europe, it was accidentally introduced to North America in 1925.
Neodiprion abietis, commonly known as the balsam fir sawfly, is a species of insect in the family Diprionidae. It is found in North America from Canada to northern Mexico and is phytophagous, feeding on the needles of coniferous trees.
Gilpinia hercyniae, the European spruce sawfly, was first found in North America near Hull, Quebec, in 1922. By 1930, severe damage was occurring in spruce stands in the Lower St. Lawrence–Gaspé region of Quebec. Population levels exploded, and further damage subsequently occurred in New Brunswick and the northeastern United States. Loss of wood from spruce mortality was estimated at 10 million cubic metres, but by the mid-1980s pest numbers on all species of spruce in Canada from Manitoba to the Atlantic Ocean and in adjacent parts of the United States had become relatively low under the influence of spontaneous virus disease and introduced parasites. In Newfoundland, control was helped by the introduction of the masked shrew, a cocoon-hunting insectivore.
Spruce sawflies are various sawfly species found in North America that feed on spruce. There are multiple species of sawflies known as spruce sawflies, including species in the genera Gilpinia, Pikonema, Pristiphora, and Cephalcia. Each kind of sawfly attacks particular parts of the spruce as larvae during different times of the year.
Tomostethus multicinctus, common name brownheaded ash sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae that is native to southern Canada and the eastern United States. Adults of this species resemble wasps and the larvae feed on the leaves of ash trees.
Hemichroa crocea, the striped alder sawfly or banded alder sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. It is probably native in Europe and has been introduced to North America. The larvae feed on the foliage of several species of alder and sometimes on birch, hazel and willow.
Hoplocampa testudinea, the apple sawfly or European apple sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. It is native to Europe but has been accidentally introduced into North America where it became invasive. The larvae feed inside the developing fruits of the apple tree.
Nematus oligospilus, commonly known as the willow sawfly, is a species of sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. Native to central and northern Europe and Asia, it was first recorded in South America in the 1980s and New Zealand in 1997, and has also been introduced to Australia, South Africa and Lesotho. Its larvae feed on the leaves of various species of willow.
Diprion similis is a species of sawfly in the family Diprionidae. It is native to central and northern Europe and Asia but was accidentally introduced into North America where it has become invasive. The larvae feed on the needles of pine trees, especially those of the white pine. In North America it is known as the introduced pine sawfly or the imported pine sawfly. It is also known as the white pine sawfly because of its preference for feeding on the white pine, but this name is confusing because another sawfly, Neodiprion pinetum, whose larvae also feed on this tree, is itself known as the "white pine sawfly".
Neodiprion pinetum is a species of sawfly in the family Diprionidae. It is commonly known as the white pine sawfly, a name sometimes also applied to Diprion similis, because the larvae of both species feed on the needles of the white pine.
Dendroctonus valens, the red turpentine beetle, is a species of bark beetle native to the forests of North America, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. It has been introduced to China where it has become invasive. In its native range it causes little damage, but in China it is a destructive pest and has killed more than six million pine trees.
Dahlbominus fuscipennis, the sawfly parasitic wasp, is a species of chalcid wasp from the family Eulophidae which parasitizes the European pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer, among other hosts. It is the only species in the genus Dahlbominus.
Dendroctonus terebrans, the black turpentine beetle, is a species of bark beetle native to the eastern United States. Its larvae tunnel under the bark of pine trees, weakening and sometimes killing the trees.
Acantholyda erythrocephala is a species of sawfly in the family Pamphiliidae commonly known as the red-headed pine sawfly or the pine false webworm. Native to Europe, it has been introduced into North America where it has become invasive.
Eriocampa ovata, known generally as the alder sawfly or woolly alder sawfly, is a species of common sawfly in the family Tenthredinidae. The larvae feed on the leaves of the common alder and the grey alder, sometimes causing defoliation.
Pissodes nemorensis, known generally as the eastern pine weevil or deodar weevil, is a species of true weevil in the beetle family Curculionidae. It is found in North America and Africa. Deodar weevils are considered a forest pest in the United States, with adults and larvae feeding on a variety of coniferous tree species, including trees such as deodar cedar, loblolly pine, longleaf pine, sand pine, shortleaf pine, slash pine, and spruce pine Trees of all ages are susceptible to weevil infestations, while trees that are severely stressed by fire, drought, extreme cold, fusiform rust, wind damage, and other problems are prone to weevil infestation. In well-managed pine stands, deodar weevil infestations are sporadic, attacking only the suppressed and unhealthy trees throughout the area. Because they do not typically effect healthy trees, they do not usually alter traditional management strategies. Unlike many other forest pests in the eastern United States, deodar weevils are most active in the winter months, and this is often when sign of infestations can be seen. The best way to avoid a deodar weevil infestation is to maintain good tree and stand health: healthy trees do not typically face mortality or extensive damage from these pests. If an infestation has occurred, pesticides can be used in the fall as the weevils become active, but are typically not recommended.
