Family ARGIDAE

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Introduction

The Argidae are small to moderate-sized wasps (4–12 mm), characterised by having a single flagellomere which is sometimes forked in males. They are the second largest family of Symphyta with about 800 species worldwide and with most diversity occurring in tropical regions. The family is poorly represented in Australia, with 12 described species. They are not known from New Zealand.

The host plants of most species are unknown, but the larvae of several endemic species in south-western Western Australia are phytophagous leaf-miners of smoke bush (Conospermum). The larvae of the introduced cypress pine sawfly (Zenarge turneri) feeds on the foliage of native Callitris species and some exotic cypress (Cupressus), while larvae of the portulaca sawfly (Schizocerella pilicornis) feed on Portulaca.

General References

Benson, R.B. 1963. The affinities of the Australian Argidae (Hymenoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History 13 5: 631-635

Malagón-Aldana, L.S., Jensen, A.R., Smith, D.R., Shinohara, A. & Vilhelmsen, L. 2022. Sawflies out of Gondwana: phylogenetics and biogeography of Argidae (Hymenoptera). Systematic Entomology 47: 231-258

Malagón-Aldana, L.S., Shinohara, A., Smith, D.R. & Vilhelmsen, L. 2021. Comparative anatomy of the larvae of argid sawflies (Hymenoptera: Argidae): a phylogenetic approach. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 21: 361-392

Schmidt, S. 2012. Revision of the Australian sawfly genus Antargidium (Hymenoptera, Symphyta, Argidae) with description of two new species. Zootaxa 3180: 47-56

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