: 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
Examples of sawfly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The sawfly larva feeds on the needles of conifers, including the lower portion, which contains resin from the branch.
—
Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
Insecticides that normally kill caterpillars prove to be ineffective on sawflies because sawflies' biology tolerates the chemicals.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 21 June 2024
Some are inadvertently introduced pests like the European pine sawfly.
—Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2024
Lisa Hodgkin, who studied sawflies for her doctorate at the University of Melbourne in Australia and is now a social work researcher at Monash University, says the groups of 30 or 40 individuals sometimes scatter while feeding on a tree.
—Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023
The elm zigzag sawfly was spotted by researchers infesting elm trees in both Franklin and Delaware counties, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
—Zach Mentz, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2023
Refer to our sawflies page for more information and images of other common sawfly larvae in gardens.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
There are no reports of the elm zigzag sawfly having caused the death of any elm trees, and species management options remain an area of study, per ODNR.
—Zach Mentz, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2023
This is an important distinction because not all of the low-risk insecticides used on caterpillars work on sawflies.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 25 June 2024
Insecticides that normally kill caterpillars prove to be ineffective on sawflies because sawflies' biology tolerates the chemicals.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 21 June 2024
Some are inadvertently introduced pests like the European pine sawfly.
—Dawn Pettinelli, Hartford Courant, 15 June 2024
Lisa Hodgkin, who studied sawflies for her doctorate at the University of Melbourne in Australia and is now a social work researcher at Monash University, says the groups of 30 or 40 individuals sometimes scatter while feeding on a tree.
—Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Sep. 2023
The elm zigzag sawfly was spotted by researchers infesting elm trees in both Franklin and Delaware counties, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
—Zach Mentz, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2023
Refer to our sawflies page for more information and images of other common sawfly larvae in gardens.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
There are no reports of the elm zigzag sawfly having caused the death of any elm trees, and species management options remain an area of study, per ODNR.
—Zach Mentz, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2023
This is an important distinction because not all of the low-risk insecticides used on caterpillars work on sawflies.
—Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 17 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sawfly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Sawfly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sawfly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sawfly
noun
saw·fly
-ˌflī 
: any of numerous insects related to the wasps and bees in which the female has a serrated organ used to cut holes in plants where she lays eggs
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