- sawfly
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Any of various flying insects of the suborder Symphyta whose ovipositor is long and often serrated and is used to cut into plants to lay eggs.
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sawfly
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Sawfly — Saw fly , n. (Zo[ o]l.) Any one of numerous species of hymenopterous insects belonging to the family {Tenthredinid[ae]}. The female usually has an ovipositor containing a pair of sawlike organs with which she makes incisions in the leaves or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
sawfly — [sô′flī΄] n. pl. sawflies any of various four winged hymenopteran insects (esp. families Tenthredinidae and Cimbicidae): the abdomen of the female is provided with a pair of sawlike organs that cut into plants, the eggs being then deposited in… … English World dictionary
Sawfly — Symphyta redirects here. For the moth genus, see Symphyta (genus).Taxobox name = Sawflies fossil range=Triassic Recent image width = 250px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera subordo = Symphyta subdivision… … Wikipedia
sawfly — /saw fluy /, n., pl. sawflies. 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. [1765 75; SAW1 + FLY2] * * * Any of numerous,… … Universalium
sawfly — noun Date: 1773 any of numerous hymenopterous insects (superfamily Tenthredinoidea and especially family Tenthredinidae) with the female usually having a sawlike ovipositor and with the larva resembling a plant feeding caterpillar … New Collegiate Dictionary
sawfly — n. insect whose female has a saw like egg laying organ … English contemporary dictionary
sawfly — noun (plural sawflies) an insect related to the wasps, with a sawlike tube used in laying eggs in plant tissues. [Suborder Symphyta: many species.] … English new terms dictionary
sawfly — saw•fly [[t]ˈsɔˌflaɪ[/t]] n. pl. flies ent any of numerous insects of the family Tenthredinidae, the female of which has a sawlike ovipositor for inserting the eggs in the tissues of a host plant • Etymology: 1765–75 … From formal English to slang
sawfly — /ˈsɔflaɪ/ (say sawfluy) noun (plural sawflies) any of the hymenopterous insects constituting the family Tenthredinidae, the females of which are characterised by a pair of saw like organs for cutting slits in plants to hold their eggs …
sawfly — n. (pl. flies) any insect of the superfamily Tenthredinidae, with a serrated ovipositor, the larvae of which are injurious to plants … Useful english dictionary
