sawfly

[ saw-flahy ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural saw·flies.

any of numerous hymenopterous insects of the family Tenthredinidae, the female of which has a sawlike ovipositor for inserting the eggs in the tissues of a host plant.

sawfly

/ ˈsɔːˌflaɪ /

any of various hymenopterous insects of the family Tenthredinidae and related families, the females of which have a sawlike ovipositor

Origin of sawfly¹

First recorded in 1765–75; saw ¹ + fly ¹

Apparently the ichneumon fly (Ophion obscurum), and not the true sawfly, is meant.

It would be difficult to find any obvious connexion between music and the Giant Sawfly.

Enemies: The larch is subject to the attacks of a sawfly, which has killed many trees of the American species.

With this instrument the female sawfly cuts a slit in the stem or leaf of a plant, into which she introduces her egg.

These sawfly larvae need looking after and can be killed by spraying.

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