 | Sawfly - Dolerus unicolor Family Tenthredinidiae Live adult sawflies photographed in the wild at northern Illinois locations. Insects & Spiders | Bees & Wasps Index | Bees & Wasps Main | Stinging Hymenoptera |
| Sawfly - Dolerus unicolor Family Tenthredinidiae Live adult sawflies photographed in the wild at northern Illinois locations. Insects & Spiders | Bees & Wasps Index | Bees & Wasps Main | Stinging Hymenoptera |
Sawflies get their name from the saw-like nature of their ovipositor. This female is using her saw to slit open blades of grass wherein she lays her eggs. It took me many attempts before I was able to capture this process. It is virtually impossible to tell what is going on while these creatures are laying eggs, it's so quick, and the structures involved are so small.  Sawfly Ovipositor - Dolerus nitens |
| Helpful: You can hear the pronunciation of many scientific and taxonomic terms at howjsay.com |
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Hymenoptera (Latin for membrane wing) is a vast assemblage of insects second only to Coleoptera (beetles) in the number of described species. Hymenoptera number some 115,000 species vs. 350,000 in Coleoptera. 18,000 of these species call North America north of Mexico home. Hymenopterans inhabit a wide variety of habitats, and show an incredible diversity in size, behavior, structure and color. Insects & Spiders | Bees & Wasps Index | Bees & Wasps Main | Beetles Index |
