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Argidae

Pronunciation:  [Are·JI·dee]

Common Name:   Argid Sawflies

Description:   Members of this family are stout bodied and easily recognized by their characteristic three-segmented antennae in which the third segment is very long (and may be shaped like a tuning fork in males of some species).   Most argids are black or dark colored.    Larvae resemble lepidopteran caterpillars but have more than five pairs of abdominal prolegs.   They usually feed on the foliage of various trees, ferns, horsetails, or gymnosperms.

argid02

Spot ID Key Characters:

  1. Three-segmented antennae with a very long terminal segment
  2. Tibia of front leg with two apical spurs
  3. Broad junction between thorax and abdomen

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Order:  Hymenoptera