Representative Families
- Siricidae – Wood wasps with xylophagous larvae and large adult size.
- Xiphydriidae (sometimes included) – Slender wood-boring wasps with elongated necks and slimmer bodies.
Habitat
Siricoidea are found in:
- Coniferous or deciduous forests
- Dead wood, stumps, freshly felled or weakened trunks
- Temperate to boreal forest zones
Biology
- Xylophagous larvae: dig galleries in decaying or weakened wood
- Some species are symbiotic with wood-decaying fungi, introduced into the wood via the ovipositor (e.g., Sirex noctilio)
- Slow development, sometimes over several years
- Adults have short lifespans and feed little or not at all
Morphology
- Cylindrical, robust body
- Strongly veined wings, often smoky in appearance
- Female: long, rigid ovipositor, often as long as the abdomen
- Males usually smaller and lacking an ovipositor
Notable Genera
- Sirex – Type genus, widely distributed, some species invasive (Sirex noctilio)
- Urocerus – Large black and yellow species, active in summer
- Tremex, Xeris, Eriotremex – Other regional or tropical genera
Distinctive Features
- Important for recycling dead wood
- Some species may be secondary forest pests
- Biology is discreet but ecologically relevant in temperate forests
Anaxyelidae (Martynov, 1925)
Protosiricidae (Rasnitsyn & Zhang, 2004)
Siricidae (Billberg, 1820)