Tenthredinoidea

The Tenthredinoidea are the dominant superfamily of sawflies within the Symphyta, containing some 7000 species worldwide, primarily in the family Tenthredinidae. All known larvae are phytophagous, and a number are considered pests.

The included extant families share the distinctive features of a medially narrowed pronotum, paired protibial spurs, and the loss of the transverse mesonotal groove. The superfamily also includes two extinct families. Meicai and Haiyan (1998) identified 66 extant tribes and 17 subfamilies. The superorder includes the argid sawflies (Argidae), cimbicid sawflies (Cimbicidae), the pine or conifer sawflies (Diprionidae) and the common sawflies (Tenthredinidae).