894 



AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



Family XYELID.E 



The Xyelid Saw flies 

 The members of this family can be recognized by the form of the 

 antennae and the venation of the wings. The basal segments of the 

 flagellum are consolidated, thus forming what appears 

 to be a very long third segment of the antenna and the 

 remaining segments of the flagellum are small (Fig. 

 1 133). Except in Neoxyela alberta, a species recently 

 described from Banff, Alberta, the members of this 

 family differ from all other H>inenoptera in that the 

 free part of vein R2 of the fore wings is present (Fig. 



1134)- 



The posterior margin of the pronotum is straight or 

 nearly so. The mesonotum is short and never extends 

 much beyond the anterior margins of the tegulae. The 

 anterior tibiae are armed with two apical spurs. In 

 some species the ovipositor is very long, in others it is 

 of moderate length. 



The described larvae feed on the foliage of hickory, 

 butternut, pecan, elm, and the staminate flowers of 

 pine. In the larvee each of the ten abdominal segments 

 bears a pair of prolegs, although in some species those 

 of the first and ninth segments are smaller than the 

 others. 



Fig. II33-— 



Antenna 

 of Macro- 

 xyela dis- 

 tincta. 



Fig. 1 134. — Wings of Macroxyela. 

 cells are lettered. 



The 



