Tenthredinoidea

views updated

Tenthredinoidea (sawflies; order Hymenoptera, suborder Symphyta) Super-family of insects, most of which belong to the family Tenthredinidae, whose common name refers to the saw-like ovipositors of the females. They feed on most cultivated plants of economic importance, with species specific for apple, pear, rose, pine, larch, gooseberry, turnip, etc. Some are gall-formers and stem-borers.