SUPERFAMILY TENTHREDINOIDEA 
SAWFLIES 
Members of the superfamily Tenthredinoidea are commonly 
called sawflies because of the sawlike ovipositor of the female. 
The ovipositor is composed of three main pieces held within pro- 
tecting sheaths. The upper piece is a rigid lance with grooves 
along which the other two pieces slide. The last two consist of 
thin plates with their flat inner surfaces together. Each plate is 
usually shaped like a long acute triangle with the edge of one long 
side along a groove of the lance. The edge of the other long side 
is saw-toothed. The narrow base of the lance is the point from 
which springs the rod that attaches the blade to the abdomen and 
controls its movements. 
Sawfly larvae resemble lepidopterous larvae but are usually 
naked. A few, however, are spined, hairy, or covered with a 
gummy or waxy secretion. The best single feature for distinguish- 
ing sawfly larvae from lepidopterous larvae is the presence of 
only one eye on each side of the head—lepidopterous larvae have 
six on each side. When disturbed, the larvae of certain sawfly 
species curl up and lie on their sides, whereas others hold their 
abdomens aloft over their heads or raise the head and thorax. The 
majority are external feeders on foliage, either eating entire 
leaves or skeletonizing them. Some feed from within webbed 
nests; a few feed within mines in the leaves, leaf petioles, and 
twigs; some produce galls on the leaves or shoots; and a few feed 
on catkins, buds, or fruits. When they reach maturity they either 
spin cocoons or construct cells in which to pupate. Cocoons may 
be spun on leaves, twigs, or other parts of the host, or they may 
be spun in the litter or soil beneath the trees. Cells are formed in 
pith, bark, and brashy wood, or in the ground. Leaf mining 
species sometimes form their cocoons within their mines. 
Sawfly adults frequently resemble small bees or wasps, except 
for their antennae, which differ in the number of joints. The an- 
tennae may also be feathered, clubbed, threadlike, forked, or may 
bear spurs on some of the joints. It is rather difficult to separate 
the adults into species because the females are variable, with the 
variations in related species overlapping, while the males are 
monotonously alike. It is often much easier to separate the larvae 
into species. 
Sawflies comprise one of the most destructive groups of insect 
defoliators in eastern forests. Outbreaks occur frequently and 
sometimes spread over large areas and persist for several years 
before subsiding. Damage is often severe, especially in coniferous 
plantations. During the past several years, outbreaks of an in- 
creasing number of species have been reported, possibly as a 
result of the establishment of more and more pine stands in 
planting programs. Ross (622) published a list of the species in 
the superfamily occurring in America north of Mexico. 
FAMILY PERGIDAE 
The family Pergidae contains only one genus, Acordulecera 
Say, and 138 species, all of which occur in eastern United States. 
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