sawfly

American  

[saw-flahy] / ˈsɔˌflaɪ /

noun

plural

sawflies

1. 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.

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sawfly British  

/ ˈsɔːˌflaɪ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of sawfly

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

Example Sentences

"Also, I could mention sawfly larvae that lived in leaves and created tunnels in them as they ate their way through the thin layer of the leaf interior."

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

When it does snow, it melts in a few days, and drought conditions have allowed the hemlock sawfly, which feeds on the foliage, to thrive.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2023

About now in the Northeast, you may witness the geometrically patterned larvae of the dogwood sawfly chewing on Cornus foliage.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2022

Of all these small burrowers, the voracious shrews find and consume the largest number of sawfly cocoons.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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

From Northern Nut Growers Association, report of the proceedings at the eighth annual meeting Stamford, Connecticut, September 5 and 6, 1917 by Northern Nut Growers Association