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 Orussidae or the parasitic wood wasps represent a small family of sawflies ("Symphyta"). Currently, about 93 extant and four fossil species are known. They take a key position in phylogenetic analyses of Hymenoptera, because they form the sister taxon of the megadiverse apocritan wasps, and the common ancestor of Orussidae + Apocrita evolved parasitism for the first time in course of the evolution of the Hymenoptera. They are also the only sawflies with carnivorous larvae.
The Tenthredinoidea are the dominant superfamily of sawflies within the Symphyta, containing some 8,400 species worldwide, primarily in the family Tenthredinidae. All known larvae are phytophagous, and a number are considered pests.
Cimbicidae is a family of sawflies in the order Hymenoptera. There are more than 20 genera and 200 described species in Cimbicidae. Larvae are solitary herbivores.
Nematinae is a subfamily of sawflies belonging to the family Tenthredinidae. It contains over 1250 described species in ~40 genera. Members of this subfamily feed on a wide range of plants and employ a wide range of feeding habits, both internally and externally, on their host plants.
Allantinae is a subfamily of sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae, and the largest subfamily of that family, with about 110 genera. The subfamily is considered to consist of five to six tribes, and are medium to large sawflies.
Trichiosoma is a genus of cimbicid sawflies in the family Cimbicidae. There are more than 30 described species in Trichiosoma.
Megalodontes is a genus of sawflies within the Symphyta belonging to the family Megalodontesidae subfamily Megalodontesinae.
Pamphilius is a genus of leaf-rolling sawflies within the Symphyta belonging to the family Pamphiliidae.
Monostegia is a genus of sawfly. The authority is based on the description by Achille Costa and Oronzio Costa, although earlier work grants this to Fabricius 1798., though the most common species, M. abdominalis, bears the authority of Fabricius.
Tenthredinini are a tribe of sawflies (Hymenoptera), including the family genus Tenthredo.
Euura is a genus of sawflies of the family Tenthredinidae, subfamily Nematinae. Some of the larvae feed externally on plants and some form plant galls on willows (Salix species). In the case of the gall-forming species, when the female lays her eggs she injects a stimulant and the gall starts to form before the eggs hatch. Most sawfly galls are hard and individual larva tend to inhabit the gall, feeding on the tissue and leave the gall to pupate in the soil. Most of the species are monophages although the type species, Euura mucronata, is polyphagous feeding on over thirty species of willow.
Blennocampinae is a subfamily of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are more than 100 genera and 600 described species in Blennocampinae.
Monsoma is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are at least two described species in Monsoma.
Fenusa is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are about 11 described species in Fenusa.
Ametastegia is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are about 16 described species in Ametastegia.
Pachynematus is a genus of common sawflies in the family Tenthredinidae. There are at least fifty described species in Pachynematus.
Schizocerella is a genus of sawflies in the family Argidae. There are at least two described species in Schizocerella.
Sterictiphorinae is a subfamily of argid sawflies in the family Argidae. There are more than 20 genera in Sterictiphorinae.
