Syntexis libocedrii | |
---|---|
Adult female from Oregon [1] | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Superfamily: | Siricoidea |
Family: | Anaxyelidae |
Subfamily: | Syntexinae |
Genus: | Syntexis |
Species: | S. libocedrii
|
Binomial name | |
Syntexis libocedrii
Rohwer, 1915
|
Syntexis libocedrii, (also called the cedar wood wasp or incense-cedar wood wasp) is the only living species in the wood wasp family Anaxyelidae, within the Symphyta, though the family has an extensive Mesozoic fossil record. [2] This species is thus a " living fossil". It has the remarkable behavior of greatly favoring ovipositing in recently burnt incense-cedar ( Calocedrus), red cedar ( Thuja) or juniper ( Juniperus). The wood is often still smoldering while the wasp is laying its eggs, and the larvae develop in the wood. [3] S. libocedrii occurs from the mountains of central California to southern British Columbia, but is very rarely seen, except by firefighters.
Syntexis libocedrii | |
---|---|
Adult female from Oregon [1] | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Superfamily: | Siricoidea |
Family: | Anaxyelidae |
Subfamily: | Syntexinae |
Genus: | Syntexis |
Species: | S. libocedrii
|
Binomial name | |
Syntexis libocedrii
Rohwer, 1915
|
Syntexis libocedrii, (also called the cedar wood wasp or incense-cedar wood wasp) is the only living species in the wood wasp family Anaxyelidae, within the Symphyta, though the family has an extensive Mesozoic fossil record. [2] This species is thus a " living fossil". It has the remarkable behavior of greatly favoring ovipositing in recently burnt incense-cedar ( Calocedrus), red cedar ( Thuja) or juniper ( Juniperus). The wood is often still smoldering while the wasp is laying its eggs, and the larvae develop in the wood. [3] S. libocedrii occurs from the mountains of central California to southern British Columbia, but is very rarely seen, except by firefighters.