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Cephidae

Pronunciation:  [SEFF·i·dee]

Common Name:   Stem Sawflies

Description:   The stem sawflies are more slender-bodied than other sawflies and often resemble wasps with dark bodies and smoky-colored wings.   The pronotum is distinctively large and trapezoidal in shape.   Larvae of the Cephidae are stem borers in shrubs and grasses (including cereal grains, orchard grass, timothy, and wild oats).

cephid01

Spot ID Key Characters:

  1. Clavate antennae with 17-30 segments
  2. Pronotum trapezoidal from dorsal aspect
  3. Broad junction between thorax and abdomen

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Order:  Hymenoptera